Pope ends historic Brazil tour

An estimated three million people lined Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro as the Pope delivered the final mass of his trip to Brazil.

As people jogged alongside his open-sided car, the pontiff paused to bless an emotional boy who was lifted up to greet him.

ITV News' Brazil Correspondent Nick Ravenscroft reports:

Up to three million worshippers greeted Pope Francis today for his closing Mass on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.

As people jogged alongside his open-sided car, the pontiff paused to bless an emotional boy who was lifted up to greet him.

He then gave Mass in front of worshippers, many of whom had stayed overnight on the beach to see him.

Pope Francis drew an estimated two million Catholic faithful to Rio's Copacabana Beach for the final evening of World Youth Day, hours after he chastised the Brazilian church for failing to stem the "exodus" of Catholics to evangelical congregations.

In the longest and most important speech of his four-month pontificate, Pope Francis said: "At times we lose people because they don't understand what we are saying, because we have forgotten the language of simplicity and import an intellectualism foreign to our people.

"Without the grammar of simplicity, the Church loses the very conditions which make it possible to fish for God in the deep waters of his mystery", he added.

Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Rio de Janeiro's San Sebastian Cathedral on his last full day in the country before he returns to Rome.

He challenged the Catholic clergy around the world to get out of their churches and preach, and go to the farthest reaches of society to find the faithful.

"A bishop, a priest, consecrated people, a seminarian cannot be forgetful", the pontiff said.

Read: Thousands on beach to see Pope

Pope Francis braved the elements to deliver a speech during the Catholic Church's World Day of Youth at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Pope Francis is on the fourth day of his week-long visit for World Youth Day which has seen regular downpours.

The non-stop rain forced the Vatican to relocate a Mass that Pope Francis will celebrate on Sunday from a rural countryside west of Rio de Janeiro to Copacabana beach when the fields turned to mud.

Read more: Huge crowds for Pope in Rio

Pope Francis is presiding at the World Youth Day opening on Copacabana beach, he was driven slowly through a huge adoring crowd, stopping to kiss babies and even to give his white skullcap to someone who had sewn a home-made one for him and ran to the car to hand it to him.

Watch: The Pope brings his message of hope to Brazil's slums

Pope Francis brought his message of hope to one of Rio de Janeiro's shantytowns today, on the fourth day of his trip to Brazil.

He said it was time for the rich of the world to do more to end the inequalities between the have and have-nots.

Later, thousands gathered on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach ahead of the Pope's arrival.

ITV News' Brazil Correspondent Nick Ravenscroft reports.

Read: Rockstar welcome for the Pope in Rio

Pope Francis was greeted by massive crowds as he arrived in an open-sided Popemobile for a welcoming ceremony on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Thousands of Catholic pilgrims have gathered on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach ahead of Pope Francis' arrival.

The Pope will preside over a welcoming ceremony for World Youth Day.