Will the Pope make an impact in London?

When I took a call on my mobile last night from a contact on the papal plane, before the flight to London, I could tell the mood of the passengers on board was celebratory.

Day one of Pope Benedict's visit to Britain was a success but will the Pope have the same impact in London as he did in Edinburgh and Glasgow?

The next two days in the capital will be tough on the Pontiff, and not just because it's a daunting, packed schedule for an 83 year old. Although it starts gently with a gathering of excited Catholic schoolchildren at Strawberry Hill it revs up with a meeting of interfaith leaders, with plenty of opportunity for gaffes akin to the Pope's speech at Regensburg when he criticised Islam for violence.

Then there's a gathering at Lambeth Palace with Anglicans, not all of whom are convinced that the Pope is that keen on ecumenical dialogue. A key aide on ecumenism, Cardinal Kasper – he of the disastrous "Third World Britain" comments – won't be there to help, as planned.

Today's highlight is the historic Westminster Hall address where the Pope is likely to return to his now familiar theme of the dangers of secularism. If he returns to it again at the service of evening prayer at Westminster Abbey, and again at Saturday's Mass in Westminster Cathedral and prayer vigil in Hyde Park, there is a danger of overkill.

Catholics like me will also want to hear a more positive message about following Christ through loving one's neighbour, service to the wider community, and prayer.

There will be moments of great poignancy too in London, where the Pope will meet the residents of a Vauxhall care home, and hold a private meeting with victims of sex abuse by priests. On the flight to Britain from Italy yesterday, he made his strongest comments yet on the abuse crisis, talking about priests' paedophilia as a perversion and admitting the Church has failed badly to be vigilant enough in its handling of the scandal.

It will be the fourth time the Pope has met victims on an overseas tour, but victims here – and the protesters, who are likely to be bigger in number than in Edinburgh – are likely to want a lot more than penitence. They'll want to hear that the Church is going to work much more closely with the police and that progress made in this country in safeguarding today's children will be matched by more concrete support for yesterday's victims.

So the days in London will be a tough test for the Pope – but they will be a tough test for London too. The eyes of the world are on the capital with the Pope visiting. This is the biggest event here before the 2012 Olympics and if the capital shows it can cope with the huge media operation, the security, the crowds and the road closures, as well as put on a great spectacle, it will bode well for the huge sporting event in two years time.

Catherine Pepinster is editor of The Tablet, the Catholic weekly