Francis leads Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square, opening Holy Week for church

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis celebrated his first Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square, encouraging people to be humble and young at heart as he promised to go to a youth jamboree Brazil this summer, while the faithful enthusiastically waved olive branches and braided palm fronds.

The square overflowed with some 250,000 pilgrims, tourists and Romans eager to join the new pope at the start of solemn Holy Week ceremonies, which lead up to Easter, Christianity's most important day.

Keeping with his spontaneous style, the first pope from Latin America broke away several times from the text of his prepared homily to encourage the faithful to lead simple lives.

At the end of the two-hour Mass, Francis took off his red vestments, leaving only the white cassock and skull cap, and climbed into an open-topped popemobile to circle through the enthusiastic crowd. He leaned out to shake hands, kissed and patted the heads of infants passed to him by bodyguards, and often gave children the thumbs-up sign.

His security detail seemed to be reluctantly dealing with this get-close-to-the-people pontiff, scrambling around the vehicle to pick up this child or that one. At one point, the chief bodyguard, Domenico Giani, was sent back to the mother of a child he had greeted to convey a message from the pontiff, and the ever-tense Giani broke into a smile after his mission was accomplished.

Francis even climbed down from the vehicle, kissed a woman in the crowd and chatted briefly with her, and another man in the crowd leaned over a barrier to squeeze the pontiff on a shoulder — an unheard of familiarity in the previous pontificate of the reserved Benedict XVI.

In keeping with his stress on giving examples of humility, Francis kissed the hand of an elderly woman who had outstretched an arm to him.

"There is no doubt that there will be a new spring for the church, a renewal" with this pope, said Sister Emma, an Argentine nun in the crowd.

Palm Sunday recalls Jesus' entry into Jerusalem but its Gospel also recounts how he was betrayed by one of his apostles and ultimately sentenced to death on a cross.

Recalling the triumphant welcome into Jerusalem, Francis said Jesus "awakened so many hopes in the heart, above all among humble, simple, poor, forgotten people, those who don't matter in the eyes of the world."

Francis then told an off-the-cuff story from his childhood in Argentina. "My grandmother used to say, 'children, burial shrouds don't have' pockets'" the pope said, in a variation of "you can't take it with you."

Since his election on March 13, Francis has put the downtrodden and poor at the centre of his mission as pope, keeping with the priorities of his Jesuit tradition. His name - the first time a pope has called himself 'Francis' - is inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, who renounced a life of high-living for austere poverty and simplicity to preach Jesus' message to the poor.

Francis presided over the Mass at an altar sheltered by a white canopy on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica.

Cardinals, many of them among the electors who chose him to be the Roman Catholic church's first Latin American pope, sat on chairs during the ceremony held under hazy skies on a breezy day. He quoted from Benedict when he told the cardinals that while they are "princes" of the church, their leader is the crucified Christ, a further admonition against attachment to temporal power.

The present and past pope, who retired last month as pontiff in a 600-year break with tradition, met on Saturday at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, where Benedict is staying until a former convent on the grounds of Vatican City can be readied for his residence. It was Francis' first meeting with his predecessor since his election, and both men are presumed to have discussed challenges facing both managing the Vatican's often creaky bureaucracy and shoring up faith among Catholics worldwide.

In his homily, Francis said Christian joy "isn't born from possessing a lot of things but from having met" Jesus. That same joy should keep people young, he said.

"Even at 70, 80, the heart doesn't age" if one is inspired by Christian joy, said the 76-year-old pontiff.

Francis said he was joyfully looking forward to welcoming young people to Rio de Janiero for the Catholic Church's World Youth Day. So far, that is the first foreign trip on the calendar of Francis' new papacy. "I'm coming in July," Francis said in remarks after Mass from the esplanade of the basilica.

During Mass, at the point when the Gospel recounts the moment of Jesus' death, many faithful knelt on hard cobblestones paving the square, and Francis knelt on a wooden kneeler.

A few young olive trees were inserted in dirt placed around the central obelisk in the square.

Holy Week will see at least one break from tradition with this new papacy. Instead of washing priests' feet in a symbolic gesture of humility on Holy Thursday, Francis will wash the feet of young inmates at a juvenile detention centre in Rome. Other appointments in public will include the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum on Good Friday night. Next Sunday, Francis will celebrate Easter Mass in the square.

Francis seemed to hold up well, although when riding in the popemobile, he wobbled a bit when he took his hands off the grab bar to wave to the crowd.

At the end of Palm Sunday's service, Francis made his first foray into delivering greetings in various languages, with brief words in French, English and German.

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Pope wades up to a delighted crowd before making 1st window appearance in St. Peter's Square

VATICAN CITY - Walking up to crowds, shaking hands with surprised bystanders in the street, mixing his formal speeches with off-the-cuff remarks, Pope Francis stamped his own style on the papacy Sunday.

His humour and down-to-earth manner captivated those filling St. Peter's Square in Rome to overflowing, and he worked the crowd in a way that had to give his security staff palpitations. Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno, in the square himself, estimated the crowd's size at 300,000.

"Brothers and sisters, 'Buon giorno,'" Francis said in Italian in his first welcome from the window of the papal residence, setting an informal tone that has become the defining spirit of his young papacy.

Earlier Sunday, he made an impromptu appearance before the public from a side gate of the Vatican that startled passers-by and prompted cheers as he shook hands and kissed babies. Francis had just finished celebrating Mass and delivering a six-minute homily — brief by church standards — in the Vatican's tiny parish church, St. Anna, when he walked outside to greet parishioners one by one, just as an ordinary pastor does after weekly services.

Francis started speaking at the window even before the stroke of noon — the appointed time for the weekly papal address. The windows of the papal study in the Apostolic Palace were opened for the first time since Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, gave his last Sunday blessing on Feb. 24. Four days later, Benedict went into retirement, the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years.

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, was elected Wednesday and has been staying in a hotel on the Vatican's premises until the papal apartment is ready.

"The pope is down-to-earth. He is a people person and it is amazing," said Emanuel Anatsui from Britain. "He is going to do wonderfully for the church."

After Mass, Francis again put his security detail to the test as he waded into an intersection just outside St. Anna's Gate. Francis stepped up to the crowd, grasping outstretched hands. The atmosphere was so casual that several people even gripped Francis on the shoulder.

"Francesco! Francesco!" children shouted his name in Italian. As he patted one little boy on the head, he asked "Are you a good boy?" and the child nodded.

"Are you sure?" the pope quipped.

At one point he glanced at his watch and turned to an aide — as if to ask "How much time do I have?"

The pope then ducked back inside the Vatican's boundaries to dash upstairs for the address to St. Peter's Square.

Often abandoning the prepared text in his hand, Francis told the crowd that he wanted to talk about mercy, saying he was inspired by a book about forgiveness that he was reading. Citing the author, an elderly German cardinal, and praising him as a "top-notch" theologian, Francis quipped: "Don't think I'm making publicity for my cardinals' books!" drawing a roar of laughter from the crowd.

Francis said mercy can "change the world" and make it "less cold and more just."

He spoke only in Italian — ending with "Buon pranzo" (Have a good lunch) — a wish that triggered nods of approval from the crowd in Rome, where a leisurely Sunday family lunch is a cherished tradition.

But Francis did tweet in English and other languages, saying: "Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me.'"

Past pontiffs have used the Sunday window greetings to offer brief reflections and wishes in several languages.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Francis would likely stick with Italian, a language he's comfortable with for spontaneous remarks. Lombardi left open the possibility the 76-year-old pope would use other languages in future public appearances.

During his window speech, Francis also talked about of his family's roots in Italy's northwestern Piedmont region. He told the crowd that by naming himself as pope after St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian patron saint, he was "strengthening my spiritual tie with this land, where, as you know, my family has its origins."

The crowd was cheering wildly when Francis appeared at the window, but fell into rapt silence when he began to speak. Some people's eyes welled up. Many people waved the blue-and-white flag of Argentina, the pope's homeland. Some people held their children aloft or on their shoulders to get a better look.

"We are so proud. He is Argentine, but also belongs to the rest of the world," said Ivana Cabello, 23, of Argentina.

Angela Carreon, a 41-year-old Rome resident originally from the Philippines, ventured that Francis "looks like John Paul II. "

"I hope he is like him," she said. "He has a heart."

The globe-trotting Polish-born John Paul II, who died in 2005, loved to charm the crowds.

Several hundred extra traffic police were deployed Sunday to control crowds and vehicles for Francis' first window speech as well as the annual Rome marathon. Bus routes were rerouted and many streets were closed off to channel the curious and the faithful up the main boulevard from the Tiber river to St. Peter's Square.

Giant video screens were set up so the huge crowd could get a close look at Francis, and dozens of medical teams were on hand for any emergencies. In the last hour before noon, a large backup formed of people trying to squeeze through three openings in the fence ringing the front of the square. But by the time Francis appeared, all had calmly found a viewing spot.

Among Francis' first formal meetings is an appointment Monday with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez. That will provide an opportunity to see if the new pope's easygoing manner still holds — the two have been on opposite sides for many years. As Buenos Aires archbishop, Francis had lobbied hard against the government's move to legalize gay marriage and make contraceptives available for free.

On Tuesday, Fernandez will join other world leaders and senior international envoys, including U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden and the president of Jesuit-run Georgetown University, for Francis' formal installation as pope.

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Associated Press writers Daniela Petroff and Karl Ritter contributed to this report.

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Los Angeles mayoral candidates square off in primary

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles voters head to the polls on Tuesday in a primary election to choose a new mayor, with the top candidates trumpeting the need to reduce business taxes to grow the economy.

The non-partisan primary election in the mostly liberal southern California city is expected to end with the top two contenders advancing to a May runoff vote, because no candidate is likely to secure a majority of the electorate.

Among the candidates are a veteran Democratic official who headed the City Council for years, another Democrat tasked with uncovering financial waste, a conservative former talk-show host and a longtime councilwoman.

The eventual winner will replace Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is one of the nation's most high-profile Latino politicians and chaired the 2012 Democratic National Convention. He is barred from running again after two terms in office.

Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel and City Councilman Eric Garcetti have led in campaign fundraising and in the polls.

Both have called for a reduction in business taxes to promote economic growth and increase city revenues, even as the nation's second-largest metropolis scrounges for new revenue to plug a budget hole set to top $1 billion over the next four years. Talk-show host Kevin James has taken a similar position.

All three top contenders have said they want to overhaul the city's gross receipts tax on businesses. The tax varies by type of commerce, with Internet-based companies charged $1 per $1,000 in revenue, and professional service firms docked $5 per $1,000.

This follows years of complaints by business groups that Los Angeles imposes too many burdens on commerce. The top contenders are also opposing a half-cent sales tax increase that is on the March 5 ballot and is backed by Villaraigosa.

COULD SWING UNEXPECTEDLY

Greuel in her current role as controller is tasked with uncovering waste and fraud, while in her former position on the council she was known as the "Pothole Queen" for her dedication to fixing the streets in her suburban district.

Garcetti is a city councilman who was president of the council from 2006 to 2011 and is known for championing the environment and bringing together factions. He is the son of former Los Angeles District Attorney Gil Garcetti.

A USC Price/Los Angeles Times poll conducted between February 24 and February 27 showed Garcetti leading with 27 percent of likely voters, compared to 25 percent for Greuel.

The difference between the two top contenders in the survey of 500 respondents was within the survey's margin of error. And in a sign of the potential for the election to swing unexpectedly, 46 percent of voters who said they had decided on a candidate said they could still change their mind.

James had 15 percent support in the USC Price/Los Angeles Times poll and City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represents a sliver of the city's downtown and areas to the south, stood at 14 percent. She was first elected to the council in 2001.

Garcetti and Greuel have led in fundraising by each pulling in over $4 million in contributions, according to campaign records from the city. But Greuel, a former executive at DreamWorks, has received an added boost in over $2 million spent independently on her behalf, records show.

Most of that comes from a group called Working Californians to Elect Wendy Greuel that is backed, in large part, by city employee unions. Outside groups and individuals have set a record by spending over $4.8 million for or against the mayoral candidates and the contenders for other city offices.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Paul Simao)

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