Brown to be pipped by Pope’s first US visit

Gordon Brown flies off to the United States today, leaving behind the worst poll ratings of his short career as prime minister. He will be hoping to get easier headlines over there than he's been enjoying at home - but he might be lucky to get any at all. By strange coincidence, his trip will be overshadowed by that of the Pope, making his first trip to the US since he was elected three years ago.

While Brown is set to visit the Bush ranch at Crawford, Texas, and to address the UN in New York, he is not expected to fill baseball stadia with reverential fans. The Pope is, of course. There are more than 60m Catholics in the US and good crowds will be expected when he conducts masses at Nationals Park in Washington and the Yankee Stadium in New York. On top of that, he's due to get the full treatment at the White House tomorrow, which happens to be his birthday.

On Friday, Benedict will address the UN where he is expected to repeat his concerns about the violence in Iraq and to urge the US to do more towards securing a Middle East peace settlement.

In talks with his local archbishops, he will have to address the scandal of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy that has devastated the Church's reputation in recent years. He is unlikely to bow to pressure to make a public display of penitence by meeting victims of abuse, though it is thought possible he may meet some victims privately.

Unlike Gordon Brown, who plans to meet all three contenders in the race for the presidency - Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain - the Pope has no intention of involving himself in such earthly political affairs.