On the somewhat superficial level of butts on seats, media reaction and people cheering in the streets it was definitely not a damp squib. However, I'm not sure what, if anything, this means.
The real outcome of this visit will not be immediately obvious and it will depend on longer term issues; whether the powers-that-be take to heart his warnings about the place of religion in the public square, whether Catholic bishops get with the game plan, whether the C of E starts to move toward the Ordinariates, whether Catholics start to return to the practice of their faith etc.
The predictions of a "damp squib" emanated largely from the media and the talking heads who have the happy knack of being wrong about almost everything, so it's no real surprise that their predictions didn't come to pass.
The long-term success of il Papa’s visit to the UK will be determined by millions of conversations held over the dinner table, or pub rail in Great Britain.
That is why he spoke to individual Anglicans directly,and not so much to their church heirarchy.
The bottom line: “I, as the holy descendent of St. Peter, and the Roman Catholic Church, are here, we haven’t changed, and we’re not going away.”
In no way was the Pope’s visit to Great Britain a damp squid.
Watch for the conversion, reverts coming back to the church and in four years or so — an explosion of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life.
It WILL happen.