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Did Pope quote Paisley?

THE Pope's comments that Catholics do not need to breed like "rabbits" has been likened to a similar statement made by Ian Paisley in 1969.

As he concluded his visit to the Philippines, Pope Francis said on Monday that there are plenty of Church-approved ways to regulate births.

While upholding the Catholic Church's ban on contraception the Pontiff said Catholics do not have to breed "like rabbits" and should instead practice "responsible parenting".

But social media users last night said his comments bore similarities to controversial remarks made by former DUP leader Ian Paisley.

The former first minister, who died in September aged 88, once said of Catholics that "they breed like rabbits and multiply like vermin".

He was heavily criticised for the controversial comments, which he made at a loyalist rally in 1969 at the height of community tensions between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.

Never one to shy from controversy, the remarks were noted following his death last year as one of his most memorable - if not inflammatory. Many people took to Twitter to comment about the striking similarities between the two remarks.

One man asked: "Did the Pope just rip off Ian Paisley?".

While another Twitter user said: "The Pope's quoting Paisley???". Another said: "It's great to hear a Pope quoting Rev Dr Ian Paisley".