(4 Oct 1997) Natural Sound
Pope John Paul II delivered a message of family unity at a Mass for five thousand guests in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.
An invitation-only crowd, including bishops and street children, packed the cavernous Metropolitan Cathedral on the third day of the Pope's visit to Brazil.
Later on Saturday, the Pope visited a cancer hospital before ending the day with a rally at Maracana soccer stadium.
Pope John Paul II reaffirmed the Catholic Church's opposition to divorce on Saturday, saying a stable marriage was the foundation of all social order.
The Pope delivered this message of family unity during a mass at the modernistic Rio de Janeiro Cathedral.
In the past he has expressed concern over new legislation in several Latin American countries which would facilitate marital breakups.
The five thousand strong invitation-only congregation included bishops and street children.
On Friday, the pontiff spoke to delegates at a conference on family values of the "necessary diversity " of a married couple.
His implication that couples need to be of different sexes appeared to be an attack on homosexual marriages, which the Roman Catholic Church firmly opposes as a threat to the traditional family.
The Brazilian Congress is currently debating a controversial bill which would give homosexual partners the same inheritance rights as traditional married couples.
The Pope is in Brazil to preside over a international meeting on families which has attracted thousands of pilgrims from around the world.
Earlier on Saturday the Vatican firmly denied news reports that it was talking to a German surgeon about carrying out a hip operation on the Pope.
The Pope, who has had a series of health problems in recent years, has appeared in fine form during the first two days of his Brazilian trip.
Organisers have deliberately set up a light schedule to avoid exhausting the 77-year-old pontiff.
After the Mass, the Pope visited cancer patients in a Rio de Janeiro hospital.
On Saturday evening he will attend a Witness Festival held at the city's massive Maracana stadium, where he is expected to deliver a speech in defence of the family before more than 100-thousand faithful.
The high point of his visit will be an open-air mass on Rio de Janeiro's beach-front esplanade on Sunday which organisers expect to be attended by over 1.5 (m) million people.
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