Pope Francis celebrated Sunday mass with three million pilgrims jammed onto a Brazilian beach, wrapping up a landmark trip to reignite the Catholic faith in a festive atmosphere with young believers.

Latin America's first pontiff was given a rock star's welcome on Rio de Janeiro's legendary Copacabana beach, with a sea of faithful waving flags, dancing and chanting "long live the pope!" on the crescent-shaped shoreline.

Pope Francis left Brazil late Sunday after leading a giant beach mass for three million pilgrims, ending his historic trip to reignite Catholic passion with pleas for a humbler Church.

The first Latin American-born pontiff flew back to Rome hours after addressing a sea of faithful who waved flags, danced and chanted "long live the pope!" on the crescent-shaped shoreline of Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach.

Pope Francis took his mission to re-energize his flock to legions of young Catholics on a Brazilian beach Friday, reaching out to those who have lost faith due to church failings.

The Argentine pontiff was greeted by 1.5 million faithful on Copacabana beach for a second straight night of religious ceremonies marking World Youth Day, a week-long gathering of young Catholics, according to organizers.

Pope Francis waded into Brazil's ramshackle slums and onto the front line of its fierce national battle over poverty and corruption on Thursday, borne along by adoring crowds.

The Argentine pontiff urged young Brazilians not to be discouraged in their fight against exploitation and appealed for greater social inclusion during a visit to a Rio shantytown.

A newborn baby found in a cardboard box on a northeastern Brazilian street has been named Francis in honor of the visiting pope, press reports said Wednesday.

The G1 news website said police, alerted by residents in the Bahia state capital Salvador, took the baby to a local hospital where he underwent medical tests Tuesday.

Pope Francis led Wednesday his first mass since returning to his native Latin America, warning the faithful against "ephemeral idols" like money and power at Brazil's most revered shrine.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims who had braved rain and cold cheered when the pope arrived at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Sao Paulo state and entered its grandiose basilica.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims packed Rio de Janeiro's streets to greet Pope Francis on Monday, joyfully swarming his car and chanting his name in a country recently rocked by social unrest.

The 76-year-old Argentine, making his first trip abroad since becoming the first Latin American pontiff, was surrounded by throngs of cheering faithful as he was driven through the Brazilian city.

Pope Francis warned Monday that the world risks having an entire generation of jobless young people as he headed to Brazil, an emerging power facing anger over corruption and lagging public services.

The 76-year-old Argentine, speaking to journalists aboard the papal plane heading to a Catholic youth event in Rio de Janeiro, said his trip was aimed in part "to encourage young people to integrate into society" and convince the world not to abandon them.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Brazil's president Friday to respond to alleged U.S. electronic spying disclosed by rogue intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, Brasilia said.

Biden lamented the negative repercussions the disclosures have had in Brazil during a conversation that lasted 25 minutes, President Dilma Rousseff's office told AFP.

Bolivia's President Evo Morales apologized to Brazil Friday for a 2011 incident in which authorities here searched a Brazilian military aircraft for drugs.

Brazil lodged an official complaint several days ago as Morales was demanding apologies from European countries for blocking his flight home from Moscow earlier this month.