Pope's driver takes wrong turn; Francis welcomes frenzied Brazil fans

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A crowd estimated at 3 million crowds Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday as Pope Francis celebrated the final Mass of his visit to Brazil. (Tasso Marcelo / AFP/Getty Images)

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Pope Francis waves from the popemobile on his way to the Guanabara Palace after his arrival in Rio de Janeiro. (Gabriel Bouys / AFP/Getty Images)

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Young men wave a Brazilian national flag as they wait for Pope Francis to pass in Rio de Janeiro. (Gabriel Bouys / AFP/Getty Images)

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People wait outside the Metropolitan Cathedral for the arrival of Pope Francis. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

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Pope Francis is by Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff upon his arrival in Rio de Janeiro. (Jorge Saenz / Associated Press)

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Pope Francis’ plane arrives at the international airport in Rio de Janeiro. (Jorge Saenz / Associated Press)

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Pope Francis waves from inside the plane at Rome’s Leonardo Da Vinci international airport. (Riccardo De Luca / Associated Press)

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Pilgrims with the Argentinian national flag gather by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. (Christophe Simon / AFP/Getty Images)

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Pope Francis is driven through the crowd in St. Peter’s Square for his inauguration Mass at the Vatican. The Vatican says the pontiff will not use the bulletproof popemobile during his upcoming trip to Brazil, but that he will use the same open-topped version he uses in St. Peter’s. (Angelo Carconi / Associated Press)

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Pope Francis has opted to reside in Casa Santa Marta, a guest house at the Vatican. At least for now, he has decided not to move into the lavish papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace. The display of modesty is in line with his behavior early in his pontificate. (Johannes Eisele / AFP/Getty Images)

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Pope Francis waves as he arrives on the Italian island of Lampedusa on his first official trip outside Rome. The pope, accompanied by a convoy of fishermen, laid a wreath in the sea in memory of migrants who’ve died trying to cross from North Africa to Europe by sea. (Tullio M. Puglia / Getty Images)

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Pope Francis blesses a child as he arrives on Lampedusa, Italy. Francis celebrated Mass on the pier with a group of immigrants. (Tullio M. Puglia / Getty Images)

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Pope Francis offers blessings at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, a lakeside town outside Rome. Francis isn’t staying at the Castel Gandolfo, but came for a day for an informal front-door encounter with residents. (Gregorio Borgia / Associated Press)

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Pope Francis kisses a baby at the end of the Angelus prayer at Castel Gandolfo, the summer papal residence. Usually when in Castel Gandolfo on Sundays, pontiffs appear at an upper window, but Francis stood at the main entrance, chatting and kissing babies. (Andreas Solaro / AFP/Getty Images)

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Pope Francis waves as he arrives in Castel Gandolfo to deliver the Angelus prayer. (Andreas Solaro / AFP/Getty Images)

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A sand sculpture on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach depicts Pope Francis days before the pontiff is to arrive in the city for World Youth Day, a major Roman Catholic youth festival. (Vanderlei Almeida / AFP/Getty Images)

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Workers build the structure for the podium for Pope Francis at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. More than a million of the faithful are expected to flock to Rio de Janeiro for the pope’s visit from July 22 to 28. It will be the Argentine-born pope’s first trip as pontiff outside Italy. (Vanderlei Almeida / AFP/Getty Images)

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Pope Francis will stay at the Sumare residence in Rio de Janeiro during his trip to Brazil. Pope John Paul II also stayed at the residence during his two trips to the country. Francis plans to preside over private daily Masses at the residence, according to his schedule posted by the World Youth Day website. (Silvia Izquierdo / Associated Press)

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Olga Valles arranges Pope Francis masks as they dry at her family’s mask-making factory ahead of the pontiff’s visit in Sao Goncalo, Brazil, near Rio de Janeiro. The Condal factory is Brazil’s oldest and has made masks portraying countless soccer greats, Shrek, and politicians from around the world. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press)

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People carry the World Youth Day cross on their way to a Mass at Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press)

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A stage for a papal Mass and youth vigil to be held during Pope Francis’ visit to Brazil is given the finishing touches at “Campus Fidei,” a large lot in Guaratiba, west of Rio de Janeiro. (Christophe Simon / AFP/Getty Images)

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Workers finish up a stage constructed for a papal Mass and youth vigil in Guaratiba, Brazil. (Christophe Simon / AFP/Getty Images)

By Amy Hubbard

July 23, 2013 8:57 AM PT

During Pope Francis’ excursion Monday in Rio de Janeiro, his car got stuck in traffic, and his driver made a wrong turn amid the chaos of ecstatic crowds. It was a nightmare for the pope’s security team. The pope, however, got a kick out of it.

As Associated Press reported, there were no uniformed police in sight. The bulletproof popemobile was back in Rome. It was the pope, about three dozen security people and hordes of fervent fans.

Pope Francis, who has made an impression as a humble pontiff who likes getting close to his followers, got extremely close to the crowds, rolling down his window and kissing a baby. Some were worried about the pope’s safety, but “the pope was happy,” the Rev. Federico Lombard, a papal spokesman, told AP.

MORE: Thousands greet Pope Francis

The worries are not unfounded. AS CNN reported Monday, a homemade explosive device was found near a spot where the pope is scheduled to visit Wednesday. The small plastic cylinder, bound with duct tape, was found near the Our Lady of Aparecida shrine, according to the news outlet. It was detonated by police.

Meanwhile, anti-government protests continued. After the pontiff’s meeting Monday with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, protesters reportedly angry over the $53 million being spent on the weeklong visit clashed with riot police.

In coming days, a gay-rights group has planned a kiss-in during the pope’s speech Thursday on Copacabana beach, and a women’s rights group plans a “slut walk” Saturday to protest sexual violence against women.

But many more Brazilians plan to cheer the pope’s presence. As The Times’ Vincent Bevins and Tracy Wilkinson reported Monday, on his first official trip since becoming pope, Francis was welcomed by a flag-waving, dancing, singing crowd of thousands.

The Argentine-born pope went to Brazil to attend World Youth Day, an annual international gathering of young Catholics. There are high expectations in Brazil and throughout Latin America among many who are looking for the church to reengage with the region’s pressing social issues.

Rousseff said at Monday’s official welcoming ceremony for the pope: “We know that in you, we have a religious leader who is sensitive to the yearnings of our people for social justice, and for opportunities for all.”

“We struggle against a common enemy: inequality in all its forms,” she said.

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