Please pray for the Pope's visit to Britain

With just over 24 hours or so to go until the Pope lands in Edinburgh, he needs our prayers more than ever. It's been very disturbing for many of us to be confronted amost on the eve of the papal visit with what we might call the Channel 4 / Guardian axis of  atheistic no-popery.
We have been bombarded with the opinions of Richard Dawkins, A. C. Grayling and an increasing number of those who have built a second career as anti-Catholic media pundits. Most prominent of all has been Peter Tatchell, an extreme left-wing gay activist from Australia, now curiously elevated by the media to the status of a "human rights campaigner," and who also 'campaigns' for the age of consent to be lowered to 14 -  see here. Mr Tatchell has consistently, and particularly in his latest television 'documentary' on Pope Benedict for Channel 4, broadcast on Monday, displayed both a woeful and wilful ignorance of his subject matter and, yes, bigoted stupidity in failing to come to grips with what are the true beliefs and tenets of the Faith he so clearly hates for such transparently obvious reasons. It's sad that such vitriolic extremism now passes for mainstream broadcasting.
Only marginally better is the BBC's reporting and comment which is shot through with insinuation and half-truth, and a fundamental  lack of sympathy and understanding posing as objectivity, surely a clear indication that in Mark Thompson's words the Corporation's "“massive bias to the Left” (and here it is the atheist / agnostic left) is not entirely a thing of the past.
One can only hope and pray that during his State Visit Pope Benedict's luminous holiness, manifest and challenging intelligence, and concern for truth will win out against the venomous and hypocritical exponents of black propaganda.
I don't want to be ashamed of my country.

God of truth and love,

your Son, Jesus Christ, stands as the light
to all who seek you with a sincere heart.
As we strive with your grace
to be faithful in word and deed,
may we reflect the kindly light of Christ
and offer a witness of hope and peace to all.
We pray for Pope Benedict
and look forward with joy
to his forthcoming visit to our countries.
May he be a witness to the unity and hope
which is your will for all people.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Lady, Mother of the Church — pray for us.
St Andrew — pray for us.
St George — pray for us.
St David — pray for us.

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God has created me to do Him some definite service
He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another
I have my mission
I may never know it in this life
but I shall be told it in the next
I am a link in a chain
a bond of connection between persons
He has not created me for naught
I shall do good - I shall do His work
I shall be an angel of peace
a preacher of truth in my own place while not
intending it if I do but keep His commandments
Therefore I will trust Him whatever I am,
I can never be thrown away
If I am in sickness,
my sickness may serve Him,
in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him
If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him
He does nothing in vain
He knows what he is about
He may take away my friends
He may throw me among strangers
He may make me feel desolate
make my spirits sink
hide my future from me
– still He knows what He is about.

John Henry Newman