Crowds cheer as Pope Francis appears for first angelus

More than 200,000 people gather in St Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’s first angelus prayer where he asks his disciples to continue praying for him.

17 March 2013, 12:00am

1 min read

Pope Francis

More than 200,000 people gathered in St Peter's Square for Pope Francis's first angelus prayer where he asked the congregation to continue praying for him.

The first pope from Latin America also walked along a hastily constructed barrier reaching deep into the crowd, shaking hands, laughing and joking.

Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me.Pope Francis. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 17, 2013

Media houses report chants of "Francesco, Francesco" as he turned and walked through the iron gates out onto the main street, where most of the crowd were waiting, leaving his anxious security men rushing to keep up.

The mass was held in the Santa Anna Church within the Vatican walls ahead of his first appearance in a window of the papal apartments at noon.

Much to the joy of the people, the Pope also turned back and diverted out into the street before processing up the aisle.

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Pope Francis I is 'THE MAN' that will brings disillusioned Roman Catholics back into the fold! His non-conformity to protocol and his Franciscan attitude will endear him to the masses, I dare say to the same degree as Pope John Paul II who for me was a superstar! The cardinals that elected him (he was second in the vote when Pope Ratzinger became Head of the Roman Catholic church) know this man very well, and therefore this was clear sign and unanimous decision to elect a Pope that will be closer to the people than ever before. God Bless him and keep his hand on him granting him good health and the courage to truly live the life of Jesus Christ and Francis of Assisi that embraced simplicity and human contact to spread the word of love and forgiveness!