LONDON  Pope Benedict XVI made history today. He’s the first pope to come to Britain in nearly thirty years.  And the first to make an official “state” visit in nearly 500 years!

That’s how long its been since King Henry VIII split with the Catholic church and formed the Church of England.  The current head of the Protestant church, Queen Elizabeth II, greeted Benedict in Scotland.

“Religion has always been a crucial element,” Queen Elizabeth II told the pope, “in national identity and historical self-consciousness.”

For his part, the pope had a warning for England :

The early thin crowds along the “Popemobile’”s route may be an indicator of what Benedict was referring to.  There are only 5 million Catholics out of Britain’s 60 million people. Overall church attendance is reportedly around 12 per cent.

The trip has been marred by controversy. The pope’s conservative stands on contraception, homosexuality and the Priesthood rile critics here.

“Those views are not shared by most British people,” church critic Peter Tatchell told Sky News, “They are not shared by most British Catholics.”

The ranks of British priests have not been affected by the current child abuse scandal as much as those in Ireland or continental Europe.

Still the pope addressed the issue on the flight in, calling the practice “perverse.”

“It is a great sadness that the authorities of the church were not sufficiently vigilant,” Pope Benedict said, “and sufficiently quick and decisive in taking necessary measures.”

Controversies seemed to be set aside late today as Pope Benedict celebrated a huge open air mass in Glasgow.

Tens of thousands turned out to warmly receive the pope, worship,  and sing…an “Ode to Joy.”

The pope flies to London Thursday tonight for the next leg of his trip which includes services at Westminster Hall and Abbey.

Centuries after religious rupture, in an increasingly secular world, the pope is still putting up the fight.