AFP, Nairobi :
Pope Francis held his first open-air mass in Africa on Thursday with huge crowds hailing heavy rains as “God’s blessing” as they sung and danced in the Kenyan capital.
Thousands of people queued through the night braving torrential downpours to take part in the historic mass, the first celebrated by Francis on African soil.
The 78-year-old pontiff received a tumultuous welcome as he arrived in an open-topped Popemobile, smiling and waving as worshippers cheered, ululated and raised their hands in the air.
At least 200,000 people crammed into the park at the University of Nairobi, Kenyan media said, in the pope’s first major public appearance on a six-day trip which will also take him to Uganda and Central African Republic (CAR).
“It is beautiful,” beamed a nun called Sister Rachel. “We all sat through the rain and were not worried.”
“This is a very important moment in my life because I’ve never had the chance of attending a papal mass,” said another pilgrim called Paul Ndivangu who arrived three hours before dawn after travelling 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the northern town of Nyeri.
But the numbers fell far short of the million people Catholic officials had expected to attend the service, with the weather likely keeping many away.
