MEXICO CITY, April 22, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Thousands of devotees on Monday paid tribute to Pope Francis at a major shrine in Mexico where the pontiff prayed on a visit to the country, which has the world's second-largest Catholic population.

At Mexico City's Basilica of Guadalupe, one of the most visited churches on the planet, a mass was held in honor of the first Latin American pope.

Esther Hernandez, a 35-year-old nun, said she was still in shock following Francis's death on Monday aged 88.

"For us it was a blessing that he was from the American continent. Especially because he understood us, he understood our culture, he understood our language. He was a pontiff of the people," she said.

Fernando Perez, a 32-year-old designer, praised Francis an example for others.

"We are very sad, with mixed feelings knowing that he will no longer be with us, but we hope in prayer that the next successor of his Holiness will also be able to preserve this legacy, that Francis's legacy in the Church will always last," he said.

The basilica houses the image of a dark-skinned Virgin Mary that Catholics believe miraculously became imprinted on a piece of fabric after she appeared before an indigenous peasant in 1531.

Francis fulfilled his wish in 2016 to pray alone silently in front of her image.

Archbishop Carlos Aguiar, who led Monday's mass, described the shrine as Francis's "favorite place" in Mexico.

"That's why we ask her (the Virgin of Guadalupe) to come to the Father's house," he said.

The Argentine-born pontiff used his 2016 visit to speak out against crime and corruption.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called Francis's passing a "great loss," calling him "a humanist who opted for the poor, peace and equality."