TENS of thousands of people, including many from the North-East, greeted Pope Benedict XVI as he began a historic visit to Britain yesterday.

Arriving in Scotland, the Pope praised the UK as a “force for good”, but also delivered a warning about “aggressive forms of secularism”, urging the nation not to lose its traditional values as it “strives to be a modern and multicultural society”.

The first state visit to the UK by a Pope came amid renewed anger at the worldwide child abuse scandal that has engulfed the Roman Catholic Church and dogged the Pope’s own religious career.

As he flew to Scotland, the Pope spoke of his sadness over the church’s handling of child abuse scandals.

He said abusive priests had not been dealt with decisively or quickly enough.

The Pope’s comments, to reporters on board his plane, marked his most thorough admission to date of failings in the way the sex abuse scandal was handled.

But despite the controversy, his followers turned out in their thousands.

The Pope was greeted by enthusiastic crowds, particularly at last night’s Mass in Glasgow, where babies were passed to him to be blessed as he arrived in the Popemobile.

In his address at the Mass, he made a reference to the size of the turnout, saying: “It is with some emotion that I address you, not far from the spot where my beloved predecessor, Pope John Paul II, celebrated Mass nearly 30 years ago with you and was welcomed by the largest crowd ever gathered in Scottish history.”

An estimated 250,000 were present in 1982 compared with about 65,000 last night, but church leaders in Scotland said they were delighted by the reception the Pope received.

Earlier, as the Pope was officially welcomed by the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh, a delegation from the North- East was in the audience.

Professor Paul Murray, representing a delegation from Durham Centre for Catholic Studies, at Durham University, was invited by the Vatican after the Pope was unable to accept an offer to give a lecture in the nave of Durham Cathedral as part of his trip.

“It has been a really exciting day to meet Pope Benedict,”

said Prof Murray.

“It has been a real honour.”

He handed over a reprint of the first translation of St Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English Speaking People to symbolise the Christian heritage of the North-East.

He said: “We wanted to bring a gift to represent this amazing historic day. As I was telling Pope Benedict about the gift, he became more and more interested.

“For us it has been a most remarkable day.”

While with the Queen, the Pope spoke of the UK’s important place in history.

He said: “Your forefathers’ respect for truth and justice, for mercy and charity, comes to you from a faith that remains a mighty force for good in your kingdom, to the great benefit of Christians and non- Christians alike.”

He cited anti-slave campaigners William Wilberforce and David Livingstone, and women such as Florence Nightingale, as examples of that force for good.

And he praised Britain’s fight against Hitler’s “atheist extremism”, saying that “Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live”.

The Pope, who was forced to join the Hitler Youth as a 14- year-old schoolboy, said the UK remained “a key figure politically and economically on the international stage”.

“Your Government and people are the shapers of ideas that still have an impact far beyond the British Isles. This places upon them a particular duty to act wisely for the common good.”

Speaking on a visit to Brussels, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I would like to offer Pope Benedict a very warm welcome to Britain for this incredibly important and historic visit.

“It is the first ever official Papal visit to our shores. It is a great honour for our country.”

Lothian and Borders Police estimated that a total of 125,000 people had lined the streets for the procession along Princes Street. But not everyone welcomed the visit.

Former altar boy Mark Dixon, 38, from Darlington, was sexually abused by Father David Taylor during retreats to Holy Island and Lourdes. He is now seeking a public apology from the Pope.

“I would like him to publicly apologise for everything that has gone on and say he will actually look at things and change things for the future and, hopefully, it can eradicate this sort of thing,” he said.

Mr Dixon’s comments were echoed by Graham Baverstock, one of 155 victims fighting for compensation from Middlesbrough Diocese, after he was raped and beaten in a Catholic children’s care home 38 years ago.

“I think it’s absolutely outrageous that the Pope refuses to apologise,” said Mr Baverstock, 52, originally from Catterick in North Yorkshire, who now lives in Bridlington.

“I believe that the Pope and others are paying lipservice to the extreme depravation their victims went through.

“It is an atrocity that the Pope does not recognise the suffering of children who were subjected to brutality, violence and rape.”