Pope Francis has arrived in Ecuador for the start of his nine-day pastoral pilgrimage to his native continent of South America.
Speaking from Mariscal Sucre airport outside Ecuador's capital Quito, he called on locals to protect the poor and the environment.
He said: "From the peak of Chimborazo to the Pacific coast, from the Amazon rainforest to the Galapagos Islands, may you never lose the ability to thank God for what he has done and is doing for you.
"May you never lose the ability to protect what is small and simple, to care for your children and your elderly who are the memory of your people, to have confidence in the young and to be constantly struck by the nobility of your people and the singular beauty of your country."
The Argentine-born Pope will also visit Bolivia and Paraguay but won't return to his homeland Argentina. It's understood he wanted to avoid questions on the country's presidential election.
While in the region, which reportedly makes up 40% of the world's Catholics, he's expected to focus on poverty and inequality in a message of solidarity with the region's poor.
Hundreds of thousands are expected to turn out to see him.
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