Pope Francis has met the President of Ecuador on the first leg of what is being dubbed his “homecoming” tour of South America.
This is the first visit by a pope to Ecuador in 30 years and hundreds of thousands have turned out to welcome the pontiff.
“I give a blessing to each one of you, for your families, and for this great people, the noble Ecuadorian people,” he said.
The pope spoke to an open-air mass attended by an estimated 800,000 people.
Many more lined nearby roads to catch a glimpse of the papal motorcade.
After Ecuador, the pope will visit Bolivia and Paraguay.
