Thousands of Catholics greet Pope Francis in Ecuador at start of South American trip 'home'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: ABC News (Australia)

Thousands of Catholics greet Pope Francis in Ecuador at start of South American trip 'home'

Posted about 5 hours ago


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Photo: Pope Francis (L) is greeted by children as he is flanked by Ecuador's president Rafael Correa (R) after landing Ecuador.
(Reuters: Alessandro Bianchi)
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Thousands of jubilant people lined the streets of Quito as Pope Francis began his long-awaited South American trip that will also take him through Bolivia and Paraguay.

It is the first visit by a pontiff to Ecuador in three decades, and thousands of excited people massed in the capital and thronged the roadsides to greet him as he took his Pope-mobile into the city, waving and smiling to the crowds.

Some threw confetti and danced as he cruised past, others waved the flag of Argentina, the Pope's home country.

The 78-year-old pontiff had jetted in a short while earlier aboard an Alitalia passenger plane, in a sign of the austere simplicity he has sought to bring to his office.

Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-06/thousands-greet-pope-at-start-of-south-american-trip/6597526

[Divernan]

1. LOVE that he flies commercial

Unlike the One Percenters and their suck-up, wanna-be-1-percenters "friends" cough/remorra fish/cough.

Getting serious, though, I'm an atheist product of 15 years of Catholic education - grade school, high school (with a couple of pedophile priests who were exposed decades later. They never hit on me or my siblings because our Dad was a VIP in town - they preyed on the kids from poorer backgrounds), Jesuit university, and Catholic law school). A lot of my former classmates - particularly grades 1 through 12, have remained practicing Catholics. I have been amazed and encouraged by how open, welcoming, & delighted they are at the messages from the new Pope. Hope he remains healthy and active for a long time. The Church could use a could house-cleaning, especially in Rome.