Pope Francis greets millions of pilgrims in Brazil for World Youth Day

Pope Francis arrived in Brazil on Monday, where he is celebrating a week of World Youth Day events with an expected 2.5 million pilgrims of the Catholic Church from around the world.

More from GlobalPost: Pope Francis tells World Youth Day to shun 'ephemeral idols' (VIDEO)

The first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years made his visit to the world's most Catholic region in a time of strife for Brazil, where over a million people have taken to the streets across the country to protest government corruption and a lack of investment in healthcare, education and public transportation.

Since arriving in Brazil, Francis has expressed his concern over youth unemployment and has reinforced his commitment to young people, while telling them to shun "ephemeral idols."

"It is true that nowadays, to some extent, everyone, including our young people, feels attracted by the many idols which take the place of God and appear to offer hope: money, success, power, pleasure," the pontiff said.

"Often a growing sense of loneliness and emptiness in the hearts of many people leads them to seek satisfaction in these ephemeral idols."