Pope visits world's most populous Catholic nation

MANILA, Philippines -- Pope Francis has arrived in the Philippines, Asia's most populous Catholic nation, where ecstatic crowds awaited the first papal visit in 20 years.

Church bells tolled across the country and hundreds of children danced and waved small Philippine and Vatican flags as the pontiff emerged from the plane and was welcomed by well-wishers led by President Benigno Aquino III at a Manila air base.

A windy day in the Philippines capital saw the Pope's white skull cap blown off by a gust of wind as he left the plane, while at the greeting ceremony his cape blew over his head.

The government has declared national holidays during the pope's visit, which runs through Monday. He will be in the capital of Manila and fly Saturday to eastern Leyte province, where he plans to meet survivors of Typhoon Haiyan that left thousands of people dead in 2013.

The pope's trip has given Philippine authorities daunting security challenges, including an outdoor Mass that could draw a record crowd.

The Pope visited Sri Lanka Tuesday where he was greeted by a display of forty elephants before heading to the Philippines, the culmination of his week-long Asia tour.

Pope Francis plans to visit Philadelphia in September for the 2015 World Meeting of Families.