Francis to hold papal mass in Ecuador capital Quito

Pope Francis celebrates his second open air mass in as many days in Ecuador on Tuesday, this time in Quito, the capital city roiled for the past month by anti-government protests.

Hundreds of thousands of faithful were expected to turn out to see the Argentine-born pontiff, who offered a message of harmony and familial unity at an open air mass Monday in the coastal city of Guayaquil.

The 78-year old pontiff's Ecuador visit comes amid widespread unrest over the socialist policies of President Rafael Correa, who has fallen out of favor since taking power in 2007.

A huge throng of worshippers is expected for Tuesday's mass in Quito's Bicentennial Park, which Correa is expected to attend.

The papal visit coincides with a time of political tension in Ecuador, with Correa facing growing calls to leave in some of the biggest anti-government demonstrations to shake the country in recent years.

Francis met privately on Monday with the Ecuadorian leader for a half-hour, but the topic of their talk was not made public.

The pope has called for greater "dialogue" and "participation without exclusion" in Ecuador, adding that his prayer for "the great and noble Ecuadorian people" is "that there will be no differences" and that "no one will be marginalized."

- A sea of Catholics -

 On Monday, a sea of Catholics, many from neighboring countries, held pictures of the pope or images of the Virgin Mary at Samanes Park as the pontiff waved from his popemobile before saying mass.

Firefighters sprayed the crowd with water to keep them cool amid punishing heat as many shielded themselves from the sun with umbrellas. Many had camped out all night ahead of the event.

Authorities had anticipated a crowd of more than one million people on the second day of the pope's trip to the region, which will also include stops in Bolivia and Paraguay.

"Family embodies a great social wealth that other institutions cannot substitute. It must be helped and strengthened," said the pope, who dedicated his homily to families as the backbone of society.

Family will be one of the themes that will be debated at the Vatican in October during a synod of bishops, as the church tackles hot-button issues such as single-parenthood, divorce and gay marriage.

Poverty will also be a major topic during this South American tour by "the pope of the poor."

It is the first visit by a pontiff to Ecuador in three decades.

Olimpia Herrera, a 62-year-old teacher, said she was convinced by the pope's words on family, which "we needed because there are many homes that are broken up."

- 'An act of humility' -

Before Monday's mass, Francis, the first Jesuit pope, visited the Shrine of the Divine Mercy on the outskirts of town, where he blessed some 2,000 people, including a group of people with disabilities.

"I won't charge you anything, but please pray for me," Francis quipped.

The pope's last visit to South America was a triumphant trip to Brazil in 2013 that culminated with three million people gathering along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro for a mass at the end of a Catholic youth festival.

Many of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics hail from Latin America, despite the rising popularity of evangelical beliefs and practices in recent years.

During the trip, Francis is due to deliver no fewer than 22 speeches and catch seven flights covering a total of 24,000 kilometers (15,000 miles).

All three of the countries he is visiting are predominantly Catholic and have been marked by a long history of poverty and inequality mostly afflicting indigenous populations.

When Pope John Paul II visited Ecuador in 1985, about 94 percent of the population was Catholic, compared to 80 percent today in the country of 16 million.

The decrease has come as evangelical churches have attracted huge numbers of followers, many of whom are indigenous people disenchanted by a lack of attention from the Catholic hierarchy.

The pope will visit Bolivia on Wednesday before going to Paraguay on Friday. He returns to the Vatican on July 12.