Ian Paisley received ‘800 letters and emails from Catholic constituents praising his abortion stance’

Mr Paisley, writing in the Catholic Herald newspaper, said his admiration for devout Roman Catholics stems from the fact they are “unashamed” about their promotion of “devotion and family, children and life”.

The comments from the son of the late Free Presbyterian Church moderator, the Rev Dr Ian Paisley ,may raise eyebrows in some liberal ecumenical church circles, but Mr Paisley said that his upbringing as the son of a pastor meant that “people of all backgrounds, all faiths and none” were welcomed into the family home.

“In our household, very often, it was a Roman Catholic visitor who wanted a prayer said for them and their situation,” he added.

Mr Paisley asserted that he admires the fact that pro-life Roman Catholics are not “embarrassed” to stand up for their views on abortion, and indeed in upholding the traditional Biblical interpretation of marriage.

Protestants and Roman Catholics globally differ fundamentally on major theological doctrines, peculiar to their own faiths. In his calling over 60 years as a fundamentalist Protestant pastor, Dr Ian Paisley was trenchant in his denunciation of theological aspects of the Roman Catholic faith.

However, his son Ian Jnr, in the Catholic Herald article, praised those Roman Catholics who practice their faith and share moral and ethical values “identical to those in my own Protestant beliefs”.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), meanwhile, has expressed gratitude to Mr Paisley for his continued efforts in defending the right to life and for speaking with determination and conviction against abortion and the radical abortion legislation enforced on Northern Ireland by Westminster earlier this year.

Liam Gibson, SPUC Northern Ireland political officer, said: “Mr Paisley’s remarks in the Catholic Herald won’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows him or is familiar with Northern Ireland’s resistance to liberal abortion. Historically, even during the darkest periods of the Troubles, opposition to abortion was one of the few issues which united people across the religious divide.”

Mr Paisley said many Roman Catholics tell him they disagree with many aspects of his unionist politics. “But they say that’s easily put aside when they know I’m fighting faithfully on the matter of abortion. To hear them say this – either privately in whispers or more publicly – brings a wave of real encouragement and a sense that I am doing the right thing.”

The DUP MP added: “Just in the last six months, I’ve received more than 800 letters and emails from constituents, who are Roman Catholic, offering support on this one issue. That cannot be overvalued. I am so grateful to them for sharing the same values about the right to life for the most vulnerable.”