The rain poured down on over a million people, from all over Colombia and Latin America, gathered patiently in the main park of the Colombian capital, Bogotá, to see the leader of their faith.

Half an hour before the arrival of Pope Francis, the man they had waited up to 8 hours for, the sun broke through.

The vast crowd took part as ‘Papa Francisco’, as he is known to Colombians, performed mass during the first full day of his five-day peace-building visit to Colombia.

He used the sermon in Simón Bolívar Park to denounce corruption and spread his message of reconciliation, asking Colombians to put aside their differences and push for peace.

The pope’s visit has generated huge enthusiasm in the majority-Catholic country. People lined the streets to welcome him as he made his way from the airport into the capital, Bogotá, on Wednesday evening in the ‘Popemobile’.