Pope Francis delivers message of hope to Mexico’s poor

Pope Francis headed into the capital’s crime-ridden suburb of Ecatepec yesterday to see the reality of the Mexican “periphery” where drug violence, gangland-style executions, and kidnappings are daily facts of life.

The pontiff bought a message of hope and solidarity to residents with a Mass featuring readings about not being tempted by the devil — a common exhortation from a pope who frequently invokes the threat of “the evil one”.

The Mass took place at an outdoor field with an estimated capacity of 400,000 and the Pope’s choice of Ecatepec for what was his biggest event in Mexico said volumes about his priorities.