Child abuse compensation 'should be paid by Vatican'

An Irish politician has said Catholics should not be asked to foot the bill from pay-outs to abuse victims.

Fine Gael's Tom Barry was commenting on reports that Dublin Catholics could be asked to pay a levy to prevent the financial collapse of the archdiocese.

The archdiocese has been hit by falling church collections and compensation bills for victims of clerical abuse.

Mr Barry said Catholics should not have to pay for the hierarchy's failure to prevent abuse.

"We should not be made pay for the wrongs that were committed, the Church itself should pay out" he said.

The TD (member of Irish Parliament), a Catholic who lives in the Diocese of Cloyne, said the Catholic Church could easily pay the bill itself by selling off Vatican treasures.

"As a father of young children I find this very difficult to accept, the church needs to show that it is sincere in its apology and the Church should be about religion not property if it takes the Vatican to start selling off items, so be it" he said.

Meanwhile, the Holy See's formal reply to the Irish Government on the Cloyne report on clerical child abuse is expected in the coming week.