Pope Benedict XVI has addressed tens of thousands of young Catholics in Brazil, telling them to resist the temptations of wealth, power and other "snares of evil", and urging them to promote life from "its beginning to natural end".

|PIC1|Approximately 40,000 people packed the Sao Paulo stadium to hear the speech from the head of the Roman Catholic church, which included various references to the Church's prohibitions on abortion and euthanasia.

The visit is Pope Benedict's first pilgrimage to Latin America, during which he has touched on sexual themes with a call for fidelity between spouses and chastity "both within and outside marriage".

Thousands were forced to camp outside the stadium, due to the tremendous popularity of the Pope in the most populous Roman Catholic nation in the world. He told them: "Seek to resist forcefully the snares of evil that are found in many contexts."

During his address, he condemned the "devastation of the environment of the Amazon Basin", and told how the responsibility for this was particularly important to the Brazilians.

He also issued warnings against drug use, violence and corruption, and urged the faithful flock to remain strong in the fight against the temptations of wealth and power.

The crowd were particularly receptive when the Pope mentioned his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who visited Brazil on three occasions. The stadium erupted with applause and cheering, many shouting "I love you", as Pope Benedict spoke of the former pope.

Pope Benedict met Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday. The Vatican's spokesman told reporters that they did not discuss abortion as many had previously expected.

The president is known for his personal opposition to abortions, but has expressed his belief that it is a serious issue the Brazilian government must address as many women across the country die each year while attempting illegal abortions.

The discussion between the Church head and the Brazilian premier also focused on poverty, with President Silva saying that Brazil desperately wanted to help Africa develop biofuels in the struggle to ease poverty.

Brazil is the world leader in developing ethanol from sugarcane and the only major exporter of the alternative fuel.

The Pope has also met other religious leaders, including local Jewish and Islamic communities, but is yet to meet any representatives from the evangelical Protestant churches, which have attracted millions of Catholic believers in the past decade.

The Vatican said that it has no official relations with those churches.