Pope hints at a big gathering of Christians

Pope Francis said Mass for more than half a million Ecuadoreans yesterday and hinted he wanted a major Vatican gathering this year to find ways to reach out to Catholics who feel excluded by the church. On the first full day of a three-nation "homecoming" trip to South America, the Argentine-born pontiff was in Ecuador's second city Guayaquil, a steamy port sometimes referred to as the world's "banana capital", given its bustling fruit trade.