Pope Benedict says giant Mass at Fatima shrine

Up to half a million people are attending the Mass held by the Pope

Up to half a million people are attending an open-air Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at the Catholic shrine of Fatima in Portugal.

The Church said the crowd was a message of support for the Pope, who is marking the 93rd anniversary of the Virgin Mary's reported apparitions there.

The Pope is currently on a four-day visit to the country.

On Tuesday, he acknowledged "sin" within the Church in a reference to the child abuse scandal rocking the Church.

"As far as the crisis and scandals are concerned, I think that the people wanted to show that they can distinguish between exceptions and the vast majority of their priests," Portuguese episcopal spokesman Manuel Morujao told the AFP news agency