In a concert hall in Athens, in the presence of 2.500 Catholics and many guests from Greek public life, Pope Francis held a solemn liturgy tonight.

The Pope and the faithful prayed together, and at the end of the Mass, he thanked both the faithful and the hosts in Greece, as he concludes his three-day visit to the country tomorrow.

Due to health protocols, the hall was filled to 50 percent of capacity, and in the central room, where the liturgy was held, there were about 900 people, including accredited journalists.

The other believers watched the liturgy on video beams placed in other rooms. The entrance was allowed only with special invitations, and the space around the hall was under strong security.

Citizens, mostly foreign nationals of the Catholic faith, who failed to receive an invitation to the Mass, took to the surrounding streets in the hope that at least there they could see the vehicle with the Pope.

After the solemn liturgy, the mayor of Athens, Costas Bakoyannis, awarded the head of the Roman Catholic Church a gold medal to the city of Athens, which is the highest decoration of the Greek capital.