Pope Francis has visited a northern region of Italy which was hit by two deadly earthquakes in 2012.
The pontiff was welcomed by tens of thousands of people who lined the street to greet him.
He laid a bouquet of white flowers at the damaged Duomo cathedral of Carpi to honour the victims of the earthquakes.
Pope Francis hugs Carpi Bishop Francesco Cavina after celebrating a Mass in Piazza Martiri Square
The cathedral reopened last weekend after years of restoration.
"There are those who remain buried in the rubble of life," the Pope said in his homily before an estimated 20,000 gathered in the piazza outside the cathedral for an open-air Mass.
"There are those, like you, who with the help of God rise from the rubble to rebuild."
Another 50,000 people watched the Mass on large screens throughout the city of 70,000.
Following the homily, the Pope met with the families of those who lost loved ones in the disasters.
The 6.1 and 5.8 magnitude quakes killed 28 people in 2012.
Authorities have estimated the damage from the quakes at more than £11.5 billion.
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Support Us