Around 400,000 Roman Catholics have joined a ceremony on Copacabana Beach in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro to mark the opening of World Youth Day.
The highlight of the festival will be a visit on Thursday by Pope Francis.
The Pope arrived in Brazil on Monday, making his first trip abroad since becoming head of the Roman Catholic Church.
His visit is taking place under tight security, after weeks of protests against the government and corruption.
Tuesday’s evening Mass at Copacabana Beach was led by Rio’s Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta.
He welcomed pilgrims to the five-day festival, which is expected to draw about 1.5 million people from around the world.
The Pope, who is from neighbouring Argentina, had no public events scheduled for Tuesday and spent time at a private residence.
He is expected to greet large crowds at Copacabana on Thursday.
{wirestory}
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