WELCOME TO THE POPA CABANA!
Pope Francis' trip to Rio De Janeiro was historic.. and even more so now that his final mass on Copacabana beach that drew a reported 3 million people..
Catholicism is obviously alive and well in Latin America--hence the genius of the Conclave even picking a Pope from Latin America to begin with (though we all know he's actually Peter the Roman since his mother and father were both Italians who moved away.. but why bring that up now?)
Here is how the AP reported this moment in time:
Many of the crowd had spent the night on the beach, an all-night slumber party to end World Youth Day that had a festive Latin air, with pilgrims wrapped in flags and sleeping bags to ward off the cold. They danced, prayed and sang - and stood in long lines in front of the armadas of portable bathrooms along the beachfront.And back to Rome he goes.. But with him a renewed flock back home..
"We were dying of cold but it was worth it," said Lucrecia Grillera, an 18-year-old from Cordoba, Argentina, where Francis lived for a time before becoming pope. "It was a tiring day, but it was a great experience."
The Vatican said more than 3 million people were on hand for the Mass, based on information from World Youth Day organizers and local authorities.
And he'll carry his own bags back to the Vatican, as well..