APARECIDA, Brazil — Pope Francis urged Catholics to resist the “ephemeral idols” of money, power and pleasure during a pilgrimage Wednesday to one of the most important shrines in Latin America. Francis celebrated the first public Mass of his trip to Brazil after praying before the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil's patron saint. His eyes welled up with emotion as he stood silently in deep prayer before the tiny dark-skinned statue. In his homily, Francis appealed for the faithful to not seek out false idols of money and success that he said take the place of God. Rather, he called for Brazilians to keep Christian values of faith, generosity and fraternity. Crowds roared, church bells rang out and a multitude of faithful waved in jubilation as the pope arrived in this small town, where thousands packed into the cavernous Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida. A powerful choir burst into song as Pope Francis arrived and tens of thousands of additional believers braved a cold rain outside. Francis paused in deep prayer before the statue of the virgin, his eyes tearing up as he breathed heavily. He touched the frame holding the statue and made the sign of the cross as a small group of prelates behind him applauded. It was a deeply personal moment for this pontiff, who has entrusted his papacy to the Virgin Mary and, who like many Catholics in Latin America, places great importance in Marian devotion. Outside the basilica, Felipe Cirto, a 20-year-old law student, vibrated with energy as the pope passed a few meters from him. “It was a once in a lifetime experience for us,” said Cirto, who was waving and snapping photos simultaneously as the pope's open-air vehicle glided by. “He enchanted us with his smile, with his gentle manners, with his warmth. I think he knows he has a home in Brazil, in the hearts of the Brazilian people.” Unlike the scenes of chaos that greeted Francis upon his Monday arrival in Rio, when a mob of faithful swarmed his motorcade from the airport, the security situation in Aparecida was far more controlled. Chest-high barriers kept the faithful far from his car. Soldiers in camouflage, emergency crews in raincoats and other uniformed security forces stood guard along his route while his bodyguards walked along the side of his car. Francis is in Brazil for World Youth Day, a church event that brings together young Catholics from around the world roughly every three years. Approximately 350,000 young pilgrims signed up to officially take part in the Youth Day events. — AP
