Photos capture papal Mass attended by thousands

Pope Francis celebrated Mass with 60,000 people in attendance at the National Stadium in Bangkok on Nov. 21.

Prior the Mass there were cultural activities and the pope went around the grounds in a popemobile allowing people see him up close. See the photo gallery for more images before and during the Mass.

Accepting an invitation from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, Pope Francis is visiting the kingdom from Nov. 20-23 as a “pilgrim of peace and to promote inter-religious dialogue.”

The Catholic Church leader’s visit comes also occurs during the 350th anniversary of the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Thailand, formerly known as Siam.

Pope Francis arrived in Thailand on Nov. 20 for the first leg of his Asian tour that will later bring him to Japan. This is the pope’s third trip to Asia — and his 32nd abroad — taking him to two Buddhist-majority countries with minority Catholic populations.

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