Pope Francis Speaks to Record Crowds in Rio de Janerio - East Idaho News
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Pope Francis Speaks to Record Crowds in Rio de Janerio

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Getty 031313 PopeFranciscus?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1375024544806Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images(RIO DE JANERIO) — Record crowds turned out to hear Pop Francis speak in Rio de Janerio Saturday night and Sunday morning.

About two million people packed into Rio de Janerio’s Copacabana beach to hear the pope speak for World Youth Day, according to local authorities, making it the biggest event ever held in the city.

Pope Francis said that young people should be protagonists of change – he encouraged people to take to the streets and ask for improvement in their countries -he said he’s been following the demonstrations happening in several parts of the world and said that people should ask for social and political improvements in an orderly and peaceful manner.

The record breaking attendance number was broken the following morning, when more than three million people packed the two and a half mile-long beach for Pope Francis’ final Mass before he departs for Rome. Many pilgrims spend the night after attending a Saturday night vigil.

This was Pope Francis’ first foreign trip as pope.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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