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Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or
tab to continue.Media captionPope Francis was photographed by well wishers who
greeted him as he arrived in Guayaquil's Samanes Park in his PopemobileHundreds
of thousands of people gathered in the Ecuadorean port city of Guayaquil on
Monday to greet Pope Francis.The Pope waved to the crowds from his custom car
ahead of an open-air mass in the city's Samanes Park.He arrived in Ecuador on
Sunday for the first leg of his three-country trip to Latin America, which will
also take him to Bolivia and Paraguay.It is his second visit to the region
since becoming pontiff in 2013.City officials said a million visitors had
travelled to Guayaquil to see the Pope.Up to a million people reportedly
gathered in Guayaquil to see Pope FrancisPeople from all sections of society
greeted Pope Francis upon his arrival in the capital QuitoMany gathered in
front of the Vatican Embassy in Quito on MondayLooking relaxed, Pope Francis
smiled as the crowds in Guayaquil cheered him and snapped selfies.Before his
procession he visited the city's Divine Mercy shrine, where he reacted with
good humour to nearly being poked in the eye by a young boy.He spent a minute
praying at the shrine and told the crowd he would pray for them.A Vatican
official estimated that half a million people had lined the streets of the
Ecuadorean capital, Quito, on Sunday, to see the Pope.Many also gathered in
front of the Vatican Embassy in Quito, where he stayed the night.He joined them
for a prayer and, according to some of those present, said: "I am going to give
you a blessing so that you go home and rest and let the neighbours get some
sleep."Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to
return or tab to continue.Media captionIgnacio de los Reyes reports from the
Vatican Embassy in QuitoAfter landing in Quito, the Pope thanked God "for
having allowed me to return to Latin America".PeripheriesHis 2013 visit to
Brazil drew huge crowds of young Catholics attending the Catholic Youth
Conference. A Mass on Copacabana beach was estimated to have been attended by
three million people.The papal mass was rapturously received in the city of
GuayaquilPope Francis was making his second visit to Latin America since
becoming Pontiff in 2013But this time the Pope chose some of the smaller and
poorer countries of the region for his visit, a move which the Vatican said
reflected his interest in the "peripheries".Pope Francis is the first leader of
the Roman Catholic Church to come from South America, but on this occasion he
will not be visiting his home country of Argentina.The Vatican said that he
would focus on the issue of poverty and inequality."Progress and development
must ensure a better future for all," he said in a speech on the Quito airport
runway after he was welcomed by Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa.In 2007,
before becoming Pope, he told a gathering of Latin American bishops that they
were living in the most unequal part of the world.Coca leavesOn Wednesday Pope
Francis will travel to Bolivia.He has requested to chew coca leaves while in
Bolivia, according to Culture Minister Marko Machicao.Children in Bolivia are
already excited over the Pope's impending visitCoca, the raw ingredient for
cocaine, has been used in the Andes for thousands of years to combat altitude
sickness and as a mild stimulant.In September the Pope will travel to Cuba
ahead of a trip to the US.The pontiff is credited with helping to bring about
last December's diplomatic thaw between the two countries.
