Pope Francis is urging Mexicans to resist the devil and the temptations of wealth and corruption as he celebrates his largest Mass in Mexico in the crime-riddled suburb of Ecatepec.
After spending his first full day in the grandeur of Mexico City's historic center, Francis headed to the capital's periphery Sunday. Ecatepec is a sprawling northern suburb of 1.6 million where drug cartels hold sway and the murder rate, especially for women, is so high the government issued a special alert last year.
In his homily, Francis warned the faithful that the devil, "the father of lies," tries to divide society and that Mexicans must resist the temptations of wealth, vanity and pride.
He said people who take things for their own use that are destined for all are taking the "bread based on the toil of others, or even at the expense of their very lives." He said: "This is the bread that a corrupt family or society gives its own children."
He added that there can be "no dialogue with the devil" because "he will always defeat us, (and) only the power of the word of God can defeat him."
Speaking out against the drug trade and associated violence is a central theme of the pope's five-day visit.