Pope Francis

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June 30, 2015 Tweets
https://twitter.com/roccopalmo

Rocco Palmo ‏@roccopalmo  · 3h3 hours ago 
Last week's big release in Italian, full, official Eng translation emerges of Synod's Instrumentum: http://bit.ly/1Nvqnom  via @EdwardPentin

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20150623_instrumentum-xiv-assembly_en.html

SYNOD OF BISHOPS
________________________________________________

XIV ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 THE VOCATION AND MISSION
 OF THE FAMILY
 IN THE CHURCH AND
 THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
 
INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS
 
VATICAN CITY

2015

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http://www.news.va/en/news/programme-of-the-popes-trip-to-cuba-and-the-usa-an

Programme of the Pope's trip to Cuba and the U.S.A. and his visit to the United Nations

Vatican City, 30 June 2015 (VIS) – Today the programme was published for Pope Francis' apostolic trip to Cuba and the U.S.A. and his visit to the United Nations on the occasion of his participation in the Eighth World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, from 19 to 28 September.

The Pope will depart from Rome's Fiumicino airport at 10 a.m. on Saturday 19 September and is expected to arrive at 4.05 p.m. in Havana, Cuba, where the welcome ceremony will take place. On Sunday 20 September he will celebrate Holy Mass in Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana and will pay a courtesy visit to the president of the Council of State and of the Council of Ministers of the Republic in the Palace of the Revolution. Later he will celebrate Vespers in the Cathedral with priests, men and women religious, and seminarians, and will subsequently greet the young in the Fr. Felix Varela Cultural Centre.
 

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http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/06/30/details-for-pope-francis-us-trip-announced/

Vatican announces the details of Pope Francis’ US trip
June 30, 2015

 
The full schedule for Pope Francis’ first trip to the US
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22 (Washington, DC)
 4 p.m. Arrive from Cuba at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23 (Washington, DC)
 9:15 a.m. Meet with President Barack Obama at the White House
 11:30 a.m. Hold a midday prayer with the bishops of the United States at St. Matthew’s Cathedral
 4:15 p.m. Celebrate a Mass of canonization of Junipero Serra at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24 (Washington, DC, and New York City)
 9:20  a.m. Address a joint session of the US Congress
 11:15 a.m. Visit St. Patrick in the City and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington
 4 p.m. Depart from Joint Base Andrews
 5 p.m. Arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York
 6:45 p.m. Hold an evening prayer (Vespers) at St. Patrick’s Cathedral

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25 (New York City)
 8:30 a.m. Visit the United Nations and give an address to the United Nations General Assembly
 11:30 a.m. Hold a multi-religious service at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center
 4 p.m. Visit Our Lady Queen of Angels School in East Harlem
 6 p.m. Celebrate Mass at Madison Square Garden

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26 (New York City and Philadelphia)
 8:40 a.m. Depart from John F. Kennedy International Airport
 9:30 a.m. Arrive at Atlantic Aviation in Philadelphia
 10:30 a.m. Celebrate Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia
 4:45 p.m. Visit Independence Mall
 7:30 p.m. Visit the Festival of Families on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27 (Philadelphia)
 9:15 a.m. Meet with bishops at St. Martin’s Chapel at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
 11 a.m. Visit the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility
 4 p.m. Celebrate Mass for the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
 7 p.m. Visit with organizers, volunteers, and benefactors of the World Meeting of Families at Atlantic Aviation
 8 p.m. Depart for Rome

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http://www.news.va/en/news/no-global-author-at-vatican-event-on-climate-and-p

'No Global' author at Vatican event on climate and poverty reduction
2015-07-01 Vatican Radio


(Vatican Radio) A Catholic climate scientist and a secular Jewish feminist formed an “unlikely alliance” in the Vatican press office on Wednesday to present a two day conference entitled ‘People and Planet First: the Imperative to Change Course'. The conference, which will take place at the Pontifical Augustinianum University in Rome, includes some 200 political, religious and civil society leaders from all continents who’ll be discussing Pope Francis’ new encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ in light of a climate summit to be held in Paris next December. 

The two day conference, which opens on Thursday, has been organised by the Pontifical Justice and Peace Council, together with CIDSE, an international alliance of Catholic development agencies. Philippa Hitchen has the details….

Canadian author and activist Naomi Klein, known for her bestselling book ‘No Logo’, admitted she was surprised and moved to be invited to the Vatican to speak about ways of mobilizing public opinion and putting pressure on political leaders. The Pope’s encyclical, she said, is a poetic, but also courageous and common sense document that speaks not just to the Catholic world, but “for every person living on this planet”. It forcefully confronts the fact that our unbridled models of development and technological progress have unleashed “natural forces that are far more powerful than even our most ingenious machines”, yet many are still in denial about the path of environmental destruction we’re headed down. Even critics who accept the document’s moral authority and scientific data, she said, insist the Pope should leave the economic policy to the experts.

“I forcefully disagree. The truth is we have arrived at this dangerous place partly because many of those economic experts have failed us, wielding their powerful technocratic skills without wisdom. They produced models that placed scandalously little value on human life, particularly on the lives of the poor, and placed outsized value on protecting corporate profits and economic growth”

Echoing Klein’s warning was German scientist Professor Ottmar Edenhofer, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The new encyclical, he said, must not be reduced to a document on the environment but should be understood for the revolutionary way it links ecology on a par with poverty reduction, describing the planet's natural resources as “a common good of all and for all”
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/the-pope-expresses-his-closeness-to-greece-in-time

The Pope expresses his closeness to Greece in time of crisis
2015-07-01 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday invited the faithful to unite in prayer for the good of  the Greek people.

A note released by the Holy See Press Office says that the Pope has expressed his closeness to the Greek people who are suffering the effects of the current crisis.

Describing the news from Greece “regarding the economic and social situation of the country as worrying”, the Pope “conveys his closeness to all the Greek people, with a special thought for the many families gravely beset by such a complex and keenly felt human and social crisis”.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/the-pope-commemorates-the-late-patriarch-of-cilici

The Pope commemorates the late Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians


Vatican City, 1 July 2015 (VIS) – Pope Francis has sent a message to Bishop Gregoire Ghabroyan, administrator of the Patriarchate of Cilicia of the Armenians, for the funeral of His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, who died on 25 June, to be held in the Cathedral of St. Elie and St. Gregory the Illuminator in Beirut. The message was read during the funeral ceremony by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

“It is with great sadness that I have learned of the return to the house of the Father of our beloved brother in Christ, His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians. I conserve in my heart the memory of my encounter with him, accompanied by the bishops of the Synod and the faithful of this Patriarchal Church, on the occasion of the commemoration of the victims of the Metz Yegern and the proclamation of St. Gregory of Narek as as Doctor of the universal Church. It was as if these events lived in the vicinity of the relics of the apostle St. Peter had marked the long and faithful journey of your 'Caput et Pater', revealing some of his most characteristic aspects.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/holy-see-causes-of-terrorism-must-be-addressed

Holy See: Causes of terrorism must be addressed
2015-07-01 Vatican Radio


Vatican Radio) The United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday held a special panel on the effects of terrorism on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Permanent ******* of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, told the panel the international community has not always been effective in preventing and curbing terrorism, especially in the Middle East and different parts of Africa.

“While considering the negative effects of terrorism on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, we should also be clear in our reasoning that these effects will continue, and indeed will become worse, if the causes of terrorism are not clearly and swiftly addressed by the national States concerned and the international community,” said Archbishop Tomasi.

“Terrorism also facilitates trafficking of persons and weapons, thus creating a black market for human commerce,” he continued. “Where terrorism has effectively taken hold, irreparable social and cultural damage has been done that will resonate through future generations.”

The full text of Archbishop Tomasi’s intervention is below
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/cardinal-turkson-on-laudato-si-and-children

Cardinal Turkson on Laudato si' and children
2015-07-01 Vatican Radio


(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Peter Turkson, the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, on Tuesday addressed UNICEF House at the United Nations in New York.

He spoke about the new Encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato si’, and how it relates to children.

The full text of Cardinal Turkson’s remarks are blow
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/chewed-or-brewed-a-brief-history-of-popes-and-coca-leaves-47803/

Chewed or brewed: A brief history of Popes and coca leaves

Vatican City, Jun 30, 2015 / 04:21 pm (CNA).- Pope Francis might chew coca leaves – or maybe sip coca tea – during his visit to Bolivia next week, the Vatican has said.

Bolivian Culture Minister Marko Machicao told local media that Francis had asked to chew coca leaves in the country, one of several stops during his visit to South America July 5-13.

The coca leaf, whose daily use and cultural importance in the Andes region rivals that of coffee in the United States, is embroiled in controversy in the international community because of its use as the main ingredient in the addictive drug, cocaine.
 
In its natural form, coca leaves have a mild stimulant effect considered similar to coffee, and they can be chewed or brewed into tea to fight hunger, exhaustion or altitude sickness – likely the reason Pope Francis might partake of the plant upon his arrival in the country.

And he’s following in his predecessor’s footsteps – Pope John Paul II drank tea made from coca leaves during his 1988 visit to Bolivia, and Pope Paul VI is reported to have drank the tea during a visit to the Andes region in 1968. Queen Sophia of Spain, and the British Princess Anne, are also said to have partaken in the plant in its natural form. 

When asked if the Pope would have some coca leaves or tea in Bolivia, Vatican spokesperson Fr. Federico Lombardi said he couldn’t confirm what the Pope would do one way or another, though he acknowledged that Pope Francis likes to take part in local cultures.
 

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http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/anti-catholic-history-in-us-shows-church-has-survived-and-will-continue-historian-says-79323/

Anti-Catholic history in US shows Church has survived and will continue, historian says

Washington D.C., Jul 1, 2015 / 03:15 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- As bishops warn of current threats to religious liberty in the United States, Catholics can take heart that such challenges have faced them before, and they have persevered, one Church historian says.

“It’s okay to realize that other people have gone on this same journey, a journey that’s involved persecution, a journey that’s involved a Catholic minority and a non-Catholic majority, and sometimes friction with governments,” said Fr. David Endres, assistant professor of Church history and historical theology at The Athenaeum of Ohio, in an interview with CNA.

“I think it’s important to remember the history, if nothing more than to realize that this is ground that has already been tread by our forefathers,” he added.

“Now is the time to take heart and realize that the compass of the Scriptures and Tradition now need to be emphasized more than ever as our guide; that we cannot look to politicians, we can’t look to the government, we certainly cannot look to pop culture and the media as our guide for morality.”

Fr. Endres spoke with CNA during the Fortnight for Freedom, a two-week campaign by the U.S. bishops to educate Catholics about religious freedom and the current threats to the public practice of religion in the nation.

Among the threats the bishops have warned of in recent years are the contraception mandate in the Affordable Care Act, and Catholic adoption agencies being forced out of business because they will not place children with same-sex couples as mandated by state anti-discrimination laws.

The bishops recently voiced grave concerns over the Supreme Court’s recent marriage decision Obergefell v. Hodges, which established same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

Although the majority opinion “makes a nod” toward religious freedom, it does not mention the First Amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion and this is very troubling, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore told reporters on a conference call after the decision. Archbishop Lori chairs the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty.
 

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http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-greets-members-of-the-renewal-of-the-holy-spi

Pope greets members of the Renewal of the Holy Spirit
2015-07-03 Vatican Radio


(Vatican Radio) On Friday afternoon in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis met with members of the Renewal of the Holy Spirit, who have come to Rome for their 38th annual Convocation.

A light rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the tens of thousands of people gathered together in St Peter’s Square for an evening of prayer, spirituality, and evangelization. The event had a distinctively ecumenical character, with the theme of “Ways of Unity and Peace – Voices of prayer for the martyrs of today and for a spiritual ecumenism.” Representatives of various Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities were present for the meeting with the Pope Francis, testifying to “the power of ecumenical prayer and the need for a new fraternity among Christians.”

In his prayer at the beginning of the Audience, Pope Francis prayed that God the Father might send the Holy Spirit, Who will guide us to unity. It is the Holy Spirit, he said, who gives the various charisms within the Church, who works through the variety of gifts in the Church, and who grants unity. Pope Francis asked that Jesus, who prayed for unity in His Church, might help us to walk along the path of “unity, or of reconciled diversity.”
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q50H2DMV8dM
Pope Francis' audience to the Renewal in the Holy Spirit Movement 2015.07.03 

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http://www.aleteia.org/en/world/article/pope-francis-returns-home-to-latin-america-on-sunday-5783269987581952

July 04, 2015
Pope Francis Returns Home to Latin America on Sunday

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis returns home to his native Latin America this Sunday, on an intense seven-day apostolic journey to the “peripheries” of the continent — Ecuador, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
 
The theme of the July 5-12 visit is: “The Joy of Proclaiming the Gospel.” This guiding thread of the papal visit is taken from the Pope’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium and the Aparecida CELAM meeting in 2007 in which as a cardinal the pope played a key role.
 
Pope Francis will spend just 48 hours in each country and deliver 22 addresses. The Holy Father is scheduled to celebrate 5 Masses in open-air parks, military bases, and Marian shrines loved by the Latin Americans. Crowds of one to two million are expected at some events, according to Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ.
 
Pope Francis will be speaking entirely in his native Spanish, which all but guarantees seven days of surprises from a Pope known for his off-the-cuff remarks.
 
“Prepare yourself spiritually for the Pope’s interventions,” Fr. Lombardi joked with journalists during a press conference on Thursday, pondering the prospect of what the pope of parresia (candor) might say.
 
Clarion calls for Latin America
 
According to Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the main issues Pope Francis will address in Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay are very clear. 
 
In a July 3rd interview published in the Osservatore Romano, on the eve of the Pope’s departure, Cardinal Parolin said the Pope will call for “protection of creation, our common home; social justice; a peace that respects of the rights of all; a society that is more inclusive of the poor; and a fight against extreme forms of poverty, so that the dignity of every human person may be recognized.”
 
The Pope will also call for “the cultural identity of each nation to be respected, amid globalizing tendencies to make everything the same,” Parolin said.
 

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http://cnstopstories.com/2015/05/08/vatican-releases-details-of-popes-trip-july-5-12-to-south-america/

Vatican releases details of pope’s trip July 5-12 to South America
Posted on May 8, 2015

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis’ July 5-12 visit to Latin America will not take him to his native Argentina, but it will put him closely in touch with his Jesuit roots and with one of the main characteristics of his ministry as archbishop of Buenos Aires: direct contact with the poor, the sick and those striving to bring the Gospel to bear on social inequalities.

The pope will begin his three-nation South America tour in Ecuador before moving on to Bolivia and Paraguay, the Vatican announced May 8 when it published a detailed itinerary for the visit.

Although local Jesuit communities have enjoyed Pope Francis’ special attention on several of the seven foreign trips he already has made as pope, the South American trip is the first time the Vatican has listed the encounter on the official schedule. He will have lunch July 6 with the Jesuit community at Colegio Javier in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The next evening, he will pay a “private visit” to Quito’s Church of the Society of Jesus, known as “La Compania,” a jewel of Spanish Baroque architecture. The first Jesuits reached Ecuador in 1574, just 34 years after the society was founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Work on the church in Quito began in 1605.

Pope Francis will spend less than four hours in Bolivia’s capital, La Paz. Vatican sources said the city’s high elevation made it advisable for him to visit only briefly. The same evening he arrives in Bolivia, July 8, he will fly on to Santa Cruz after the welcoming ceremony, a visit with the president and a meeting with civil authorities.

Pope Francis will have the official welcoming ceremonies and private visits with the presidents of Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay as dictated by protocol; in addition, the pope will meet “civil society” leaders in Ecuador, government officials in Bolivia and members of the diplomatic corps in Paraguay.

But the heart of the visit is expected to be his public Masses and the time he spends with people often on the margins of society. On July 8, he will visit a home for the aged run by the Missionaries of Charity in Quito; in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, he will address participants in the second World Meeting of Popular Movements, a group of grass-roots activists, and will visit a prison; and in Asuncion, Paraguay, he will visit both a pediatric hospital and the residents of one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, Banado Norte.

Here is the pope’s itinerary as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses. Bolivia and Paraguay are on Eastern Daylight Time.

Sunday, July 5 (Rome, Quito)

— 9 a.m. (3 a.m.) Departure from Rome’s Fiumicino airport.

— 3 p.m. (4 p.m.) Arrival at Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito. Speech by pope.
 

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http://cnstopstories.com/2015/05/08/vatican-releases-details-of-popes-trip-july-5-12-to-south-america/

 
Here is the pope’s itinerary as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses. Bolivia and Paraguay are on Eastern Daylight Time.

Sunday, July 5 (Rome, Quito)

— 9 a.m. (3 a.m.) Departure from Rome’s Fiumicino airport.

— 3 p.m. (4 p.m.) Arrival at Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito. Speech by pope.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29-tafcTf7U
Pope Francis in Ecuador-Welcome ceremony 
Started on Jul 5, 2015

Starts at 2:50 PM local time. Pope Francis arrives in Ecuador, first stop on his apostolic visit to Latin America; official welcome ceremony in the presence of the highest state authorities

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http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/francesco-sudamerica-42182/

07/ 5/2015
Pope to President of Ecuador: Church endorses dialogue and supports social justice policies


“I thank God for making this return to Latin America possible... I have visited Ecuador on a number of occasions for pastoral reasons; thus, today too, I come as a witness of God’s mercy and of the faith in Jesus Christ”. Francis smiled to faithful who welcomed him at Quito airport after the long 13-hour papal flight: the welcome ceremony is the first leg of Francis’ Latin American voyage, which has brought him to Ecuador and will take him to Bolivia and Paraguay.  The sky is cloudy and a strong gust of wind blew off Francis' zucchetto as he disembarked the Alitalia Airbus that brought him to Quito. As with his first European trips, Francis chose to start his Latin American tour with visits to the more peripheral nations, rather than the greater ones. He has chosen to go to those countries which are most in need of encouragement along their paths of change and development.

The Pope thanked President Rafael Correa for the “congruity” of his thoughts with his own. In his speech, he recalled the steps the country has taken towards renewal, quoting the Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” and the “Laudato Si’” encyclical, speaking about “Latin America’s great social sin, which is that of injustice”. He also stated that “the fair distribution of wealth must be demanded”. The Pope congratulated Correa “on the accomplishment” of his mission. A mission which is by no means easy for a left-wing head of state who has criticised the gender ideology, is proposing the establishment of an international body for environmental justice and is implementing social inclusion policies. And who aims to introduce two laws on capital gains tax and inheritance, a sort of “property tax” that is contested both by rich property owners and by the middle class which fears it will lose properties purchased for their children. Correa’s opponents are launching demonstrations all around the country but have stated that they do not intend to disturb the papal visit.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/07/05/pope_francis_arrives_in_quito,_ecuador/1156210

Pope Francis arrives in Quito, Ecuador
05/07/2015 22:00


(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis arrived in Quito, Ecuador, on Sunday, at the start of a three-pronged tour of Latin America that will see him also in Bolivia and Paraguay. Below, please find the full text of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks at the welcome ceremony, in their official English translation.
**************************************
Mr President,

Distinguished Government Authorities,

My Brother Bishops,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

I thank God for having allowed me to return to Latin America and to be here with you today in this beautiful land of Ecuador.  I feel joy and gratitude as I see the warm welcome you have offered me. It is a sign of the hospitality which so well defines the people of this noble nation.
 

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July 5, 2015 Tweets
https://twitter.com/FatherRosica

Thomas Rosica retweeted
IneSM ‏@inesanma  · 5h5 hours ago 
Welcoming ceremony in Ecuador! Francis is welcomed by Correa and a youth band.
I'll be tweeting all week for @Crux!

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http://cnstopstories.com/2015/05/08/vatican-releases-details-of-popes-trip-july-5-12-to-south-america/

 
Here is the pope’s itinerary as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses. Bolivia and Paraguay are on Eastern Daylight Time.
 
Monday, July 6 (Quito, Guayaquil, Quito)

— 9 a.m. (10 a.m.) Departure by airplane from Quito for Guayaquil.

— 11.15 a.m. (12:15 p.m.) Mass outside the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Guayaquil. Homily by pope.

— 2 p.m. (3 p.m.) Lunch at Colegio Javier with the Jesuit community and members of the papal entourage.

— 5.10 p.m. (6:10 p.m.) Departure by plane for Quito.

— 6 p.m. (7 p.m.) Arrival in Quito.

— 7 p.m. (8 p.m.) Courtesy visit to the President Rafael Correa at Carondelet Palace.

— 8:10 p.m. (9:10 p.m.) Visit to the Quito cathedral. Greeting by pope.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/07/06/looking_ahead_to_pope_franciss_visit_to_guayaquil_/1156358

Looking ahead to Pope Francis's visit to Guayaquil
06/07/2015 14:31


Guyaquil's National Shrine of Divine Mercy - RV

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis arrived in Ecuador's capital Quito  on Sunday 5th of July. It marked a homecoming for this Argentinian Pontiff who’s currently on the first leg of an Apostolic Journey to Latin America which also takes him to two other nations Bolivia and Paraguay.

On his first full day in Ecuador Pope Francis is set to fly to Guayaquil, the nation’s major port city with stunning views over the Pacific Ocean. The city  lies roughly 265 kilometres from Quito.

Guayaquil has an overwhelming Catholic population and takes its name from the Indios chief “Guayas” and his wife” Quil”. Legendary heroes who may have led the indigenous resistance from the Spanish Conquistadores but whose descendants have nevertheless kept the faith implanted there.

Fitting then that the Holy Mass presided over by Pope Francis on Monday evening Rome time, in this city which takes its name from a couple, should be dedicated to the family. And families were numerous among the thousands who filled up the venue for the mass already up to  eight hours before the celebration scheduled at a park by the name of ‘Los Samanes de Guayaquil’.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-t9njHRoU0
Pope Francis in Ecuador - Holy Mass
Scheduled for Jul 6, 2015

Guayaquil local time: 11.30 - Pope Francis presides the Holy Mass at Los Semanes park.

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http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1502896.htm

Jul-6-2015
Families need prayers, mercy, courage, including from synod, pope says

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (CNS) -- Even if a pastoral proposal for helping a Catholic family with problems seems scandalous at first, it is possible God could use that proposal to bring healing and holiness, Pope Francis said.

Encouraging and celebrating family life during a Mass July 6 in Guayaquil, Pope Francis asked people to pray for the October Synod of Bishops on the family, and he tied the synod to the Jubilee of Mercy, a yearlong celebration that will begin in December.

The synod will be a time for the church to "deepen her spiritual discernment and consider concrete solutions to the many difficult and significant challenges facing families in our time," the pope said.

Celebrating Mass with as many as 1 million people gathered under the hot sun in Los Samanes Park, Pope Francis asked them "to pray fervently for this intention, so that Christ can take even what might seem to us impure, scandalous or threatening, and turn it -- by making it part of his 'hour' -- into a miracle. Families today need this miracle!"