Record Six Million In Manila For Pope's Mass

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Record crowds have filled Manila's main park and surrounding areas for Pope Francis' last mass in the Philippines before he returns to Rome.

An estimated six million worshippers attended the event, making it the largest ever papal gathering, despite constant rain.

The turnout easily surpassed the previous record of five million for a mass by John Paul II at the same venue in 1995.

Francis arrived at Rizal Park in a 'popemobile' based on the design of a jeepney, a popular form of transport in the Philippines.

He was wearing the same plastic yellow rain poncho handed out to the masses during his visit to typhoon-hit Tacloban on Saturday.

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Gallery: Pope Draws Huge Crowds In Manila

Huge crowds filled Manila's main park and surrounding areas for Pope Francis' last mass in the Philippines before his return to Rome

Air force pictures show a packed Rizal Park - the landmark and areas around it had an estimated six million people attending

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It was a record attendance for a papal mass - surpassing the five million who attended a mass by John Paul II in Manila in 1995

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The 78-year-old Pontiff was mobbed as he arrived at the park

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People make their way through the streets to Rizal Park. Continue for more images

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The 78-year-old waved and smiled at the cheering crowds that lined the route taken by his motorcade to the park.

His vehicle stopped repeatedly so he could lean over barriers and kiss babies.

Philippine authorities mounted one of their biggest ever security operations, deploying some 40,000 soldiers and police.

"This is a sea of faith we are dealing with," acting national chief Leonardo Espina told reporters.

Earlier, Francis drew an estimated 200,000 people to Manila's Catholic university, where he came close to tears hearing two rescued street children speak of the hardship they had faced.

By the time the gates to Rizal Park opened, the roads leading to it were mostly closed.

Many people camped outside the entrance the night before to make sure they got in.

The government warned the elderly, pregnant women and children against attending.

The pope's five-day visit to the Philippines, which began on Thursday, followed two days in Sri Lanka.

His visit to Tacloban had to be cut short because of looming stormy weather, and there was drama at the airport when a plane carrying VIPs connected to the papal visit was blown off a runway as it prepared to take off shortly after the Pope's aircraft departed.

It is Francis' second trip to Asia in five months, reflecting its growing importance to the Catholic Church with support dwindling in Europe and the United States.

It is also the fourth papal visit to the Philippines, where four-fifths of the population are Catholics.

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