Many of the pilgrims camped overnight at the air base
The Pope has returned to an air base just outside Madrid
where he delivered a homily to a million-strong crowd on Saturday
evening.
After a scorching day, his speech was disrupted by a violent thunderstorm, which blew off his skullcap.
World Youth Day is a Catholic event which has drawn hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world.
Many of the young people camped at the Cuatro Vientos air
base overnight, and many had waited for hours in the open air to see him
for the prayer vigil on Saturday.
Madrid is in the middle of a heatwave and even though fire
engines doused the crowds with water, hundreds of fainting pilgrims were
treated by medics.
But the Pope's arrival coincided with a massive downpour and forced him to stop in the middle of a welcome address.
Sheltering under an umbrella, the 84-year-old commended the crowd for having faith "stronger than the rain".
There have been several protests against the cost of the
Pope's four-day visit, which comes at a time of high unemployment and
spending cuts.
The event's organisers say most costs will be met by the pilgrims themselves.
Protests have also been staged by gay men and lesbians
against his visit and the Catholic Church's opposition to same-sex
marriages.
The pontiff's four-day visit began on Thursday and his
engagements have included celebrating Mass with thousands of future
priests, meeting young nuns and taking part in a Way of the Cross
procession.
He has also met King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia, and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero.
No comments:
Post a Comment