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Pope Benedict XVI state visit: Final day: Oscott College speeches and departure; Cardinal Keith O'Brien (Leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland) speech (farewell address) alongside the Pope SOT- Holy Father, it is a great privilege for me to address you, as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland. As you prepare to leave us, we remember the joy and pride we felt when we learned of your State visit to the United Kingdom at the invitation of Her Majesty the Queen and Her Government. In Edinburgh, just three days ago, in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Her Majesty, the Duke of Edinburgh and leaders of Church and State welcomed you and the words you so thoughtfully delivered to us when you addressed our country. It was a particular joy for us in Scotland to realise that you would arrive in our country to begin your visit on the 16th of September, the Feast of St Ninian. Ninian was of course a bishop, ordained in Rome and sent back to his homeland to spread the Christian message. Your words and your very presence brought to our minds our ancient Christian heritage. The St. Ninian tartan scarf specially designed and woven for your visit, and which you so graciously wore, showed that you are indeed proud to be an honorary Scotsman even for a day. The welcoming cavalcade along Princes Street in Edinburgh reminded a worldwide audience of the Christian roots of our land. Like Ninian before you, you too moved across our countries, strengthening us in that same Christian faith whose seed had been first sown over 1600 years ago. At Bellahouston Park in Glasgow, the first of your Masses in our country was celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm, but the sounds of the 70,000 plus people were silent for moments of deep prayer during that mass as in subsequent masses offered by yourself in our countries. For many months our people had been preparing to greet you with very great happiness in prayer and song.