Pope Benedict XVI has celebrated the closing Mass of the World Youth Day festival in Spain in front of thousands of young Catholics.
He urged the pilgrims to share the faith, and announced that the next event would be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2013.
Last night, the Pontiff's homily to a million-strong crowd at an old airbase in Madrid was cut short by a violent thunderstorm which blew off his skullcap.
‘I hope you were able to sleep despite the inclement weather,’ the Pope said before a mass held to conclude the six-day World Youth Day celebrations, marked by a storm, blistering heat and angry protests.
‘I am sure that this morning you lifted your eyes to the sky more than once, not just your eyes but also your heart,’ said the Pope.
Many pilgrims could not receive the sacrament of Holy Communion - the blood and body of Christ for Roman Catholics - because gusts of wind had damaged some temporary chapels, organisers said.
They instead accepted ‘spiritual communion’ at the mass.
One of 17 tents holding the sacrament collapsed in the Saturday night tempest, injuring seven young people who were taken to hospital with light injuries including one broken leg.
Yesterday's storm had cut short a homily by the Pope in which he defended traditional marriage ‘in which a man and a woman, in becoming one flesh, find fulfilment in a profound life of communion’.
The Roman Catholic Church has condemned the sweeping liberal reforms brought in by Spain's Socialist government in recent years, including easier access to abortion, gay marriage and fast-track divorce.
The attitude of the Pope has sparked anger among the gay and lesbian community in Spain.
On Thursday, Spanish police foiled plans by 100 homosexuals to stage a kiss-in before the Pope in Madrid, blocking the protesters before they could meet up.
The sheer scale of the celebrations in Madrid has also sparked angry demonstrations at a time of economic hardship, with unemployment for under-25s in Spain running at more than 45%.
Thousands of protesters marched in central Madrid almost daily to protest the cost but organisers say most of the cost will be covered by a registration fee from the pilgrims, and the event is a big tourist boost.
