There are the first two children, other than martyrs, to be pronounced saints by the Catholic church.

The canonisation of Jacinta and Francisco Marto was the high point of the celebrations of the centenary of the apparitions in Cova da Iria and took place at the start of Mass that the Pope celebrated at an alter in the shrine.

The Pope left Fatima just after 14:30 in the Popemobile to go back to Monte Real air base where TAP Portugal has two planes waiting to take him back to Rome.

Vatican spokesman, Greg Burke, said there were over 500,000 people in Fatima today to witness the canonisation.