Ian Paisley, the former Northern Ireland firebrand then First Minister, has reinvented himself once again as a 'champion' for victims of child sex abuse.

Paisley made his comments when announcing he was going to Scotland this weel to protest against Pope Benedict and his oversight on the child abuse issue while in the Vatican.

The founder of the Free Presbyterian Church will join a protest in Scotland against this week’s visit to Britain by Pope Benedict

"This man is coming to this country at a time when his own church is very deeply divided, and rightly so, because of the behaviour of many priests within the church and his evident desire not to enter into this matter and deal with it,” Dr Paisley told the BBC.

Paisley claimed he had been contacted by “many Roman Catholic people” who were troubled “by the actions of Rome” in regard to the abuse of children. “I think that I have a right – everybody has a right – to make their presence felt on this issue,” he said.

What a hypocrite.

I'm sure Paisley is familiar with the bible admonition that "Let him without sin cast the first stone."

Back in 1973 a full-time missionary in Paisley's church, Valerie Shaw, approached Paisley with horrific news. A senior administrator at the Kincora orphanage in Belfast and a close ally of Paisley named William McGrath was abusing boys at the home.

Paisley ignored Shaw and refused to investigate.

In January 1980 the Kincora scandal broke amid allegations, later proven of massive abuse of children at the home.

Paisley knew the ringleader McGrath very well and McGrath had accompanied him to many meetings.

He denied Shaw had told him about McGrath years earlier, but under pressure later admitted he had been told of her suspicions.

This is the man who now proposes to attack the pope on the same issue.

The words kettle and black and hypocrite come to mind