Sinead O’Connor has hit out at the Vatican after a Catholic bishop appealed to parishioners to help the Church meet the costs of compensating victims of child abuse.

In a fierce attack on Premier Christian Radio’s Premier Drive show this week, the singer said: "I consider the Vatican to be an anti-Christian establishment. I don't believe they are fit to represent Christ.

“I am calling on people to abandon the Catholic Church and begin their direct relationship with God, which was their natural entitlement anyway."

Her criticism follows an appeal from the Bishop of Ferns, Denis Brennan, asking parishioners to contribute towards the cost of legal fees and compensation for victims of child abuse at the hands of parish priests and church-run institutions.

“To ask the Irish people to cough up their last fivers in order for the Church to pay the bill for its own abuse, for which it has its own billions in which it could pay it, is abuse all over again,” said the singer, best known for her 1990 hit, Nothing Compares 2 U.

Michael Kelly, deputy editor of the Irish Catholic newspaper, acknowledged that such an appeal would be unpopular with churchgoers but claimed the Church would struggle to meet the costs if support from parishioners was not forthcoming.

"Talking with most ordinary Catholics, they're quite annoyed by it, they don't like that they're being asked to contribute towards compensation claims,” he said.

"The Vatican is very rich when it comes to assets, but they're not so rich when it comes to cash.

“They make a very modest profit every year and if it weren't for the generosity of several wealthy Catholics, then the Vatican would be in the red every year."

He warned that if the Church was left to come up with the cash on its own, local communities would suffer.

"People will realise that what we're really talking about is their local community, a very different situation than this idea of selling off the perceived wealth of the Vatican,” he said.

“If the money isn't forthcoming then the Church will be forced to sell off some its assets, that means in effect the local primary school, the local parish hall and the local church."