The Sun newspaper has launched a prayer campaign asking rain-battered Brits to pray to St Medard, the Patron Saint of good or bad weather. The publication is calling on readers to join the prayer campaign to St Medard with the headline: "Bring us sun shrine." Revd Susan Evans, whose Lincolnshire church is named after the Saint, is leading the prayers saying: 'Dear Lord, we've had enough'. St Medard was said to have once been sheltered from rain by an eagle which hovered over him.
Stig Abell, the newspaper's Managing Editor, told Premier's Marcus Jones during the News Hour why the paper is serious about the campaign:
However, it would seem not everyone is happy with The Sun's decision to instruct people to turn to God to help flooding victims.
People have taken to social media to voice their concerns over the paper's position, K Mason wrote:
"Never hang your head down, give up sit down. Find another way. Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines".
James Evans said:
"Sun asking readers to pray the rain away, whilst claiming Mystic Meg has got the forecast. A deterministic nightmare".
Sunder Katwala seemed bemused by the Sun's decision to run the story:
"Bring me sun shrine" pretty curious front page: pray to St Medard, says The Sun".
Meanwhile, the UK's facing another weekend of miserable weather with strong winds and heavy rain forecast for large parts of the country. Six severe flood warnings have been issued for Devon and Cornwall coastlines at high tide tomorrow morning. Currently there are nearly 100 flood warnings in place across Britain - mostly in south-western England and the Midlands. It has also been announced that Prince Charles will visit flood-stricken communities in the South West to see for himself how they are coping with the crisis. He will also meet emergency services involved in the relief effort and residents who remain trapped in villages cut off by water after the wettest January on record. The trip on Tuesday had been planned in advance of the floods for Prince Charles to learn how communities coped with similar problems in 2012. The Prince will visit Stoke St Gregory and Muchelney, where he will talk to residents, farmers and businesses, some who have criticised the government and the Environment Agency for what they say is a lack of action to prevent the floods.
The Sun prayer to St Medard, by Revd Sue Evans, Vicar of St Medard, Little Bytham, Lincs:
"Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the gift of water, and in many parts of the world we know people suffer and die for lack of rain.
But dear Lord - we've had enough.
We ask you please that the rain may stop soon.
We pray for all those people and animals suffering from floods.
As St Medard needed protection from the rain, so now do many people from our land.
For Jesus' sake Amen."