Pope Francis arrived Tuesday in the
Bicentennial Park in the Ecuadorean capital city of Quito for an
open-air Mass dedicated to evangelization.
As Francis descended from the popemobile, a shower of
flower petals was launched by the crowd of an estimated 1.5
million people.
The park, dedicated to the country's independence just over
200 years ago, opened in 2013 in a large green area where an
airport was once located.
In fact, Pope John Paul II landed there in 1985 during his
pontifical visit to Quito.
Francis was greeted by bishops, including Mgr. Fausto
Gabriel Travez Travez, in a ritual that included indigenous
melodies and songs.
Francis was also greeted by the President of Ecuador,
Rafael Correa.
During Mass, the Pope recalled the "cry for freedom" heard
200 years ago in "Spanish-speaking America," born "from the
consciousness of the lack of freedom, of being squeezed and
looted, subject to the conveniences of the powerful".
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