Pope Francis draws millions in Rio

Pope Francis drew a reported three million faithful to Rio's Copacabana beach for the final evening of World Youth Day, hours after he chastised the Brazilian church for failing to stem the "exodus" of Catholics to evangelical congregations.

Francis headed into the final hours of his first international trip riding a remarkable wave of popularity. By the time his open-sided car reached the stage for the vigil service on Saturday night, the back seat was piled high with soccer jerseys, flags and flowers tossed to him by adoring pilgrims lining the beachfront route.

In the longest and most important speech of his four-month pontificate, Francis took a direct swipe at the "intellectual" message of the church that characterised the pontificate of his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

Speaking to Brazil's bishops, he said ordinary Catholics simply did not understand such lofty ideas and needed to hear the simpler message of love, forgiveness and mercy that was at the core of the Catholic faith.

In a speech outlining the kind of church he wants, Francis asked bishops to reflect on why hundreds of thousands of Catholics have left the church for Protestant congregations that have grown exponentially in recent decades in Brazil, particularly in its slums or favelas.

According to census data, the number of Catholics in Brazil dipped from 125 million in 2000 to 123 million in 2010, with the church's share of the total population dropping from 74 per cent to 65 per cent.