Pope Francis has met the President of Ecuador on the first leg of what is being dubbed his “homecoming” tour of South America. <br /><br /> This is the first visit by a pope to Ecuador in 30 years and hundreds of thousands have turned out to welcome the pontiff.<br /><br /> “I give a blessing to each one of you, for your families, and for this great people, the noble Ecuadorian people,” he said.<br /><br /> The pope spoke to an open-air mass attended by an estimated 800,000 people.<br /><br /> Many more lined nearby roads to catch a glimpse of the papal motorcade. <br /><br /> After Ecuador, the pope will visit Bolivia and Paraguay.
