He also wished a speedy recovery to others hurt in the stampede. The service in Cimangola, near the capital Luanda, is the last major event of the Pope's seven-day African tour.

The pontiff celebrated Mass on Sunday from a huge steel stage decorated with pink ribbons in a field which Vatican officials said could hold as many as two million people.

Many of the women wore pink sarongs bearing the face of the Pope and Jesus, while others had Pope Benedict's image emblazoned on their T-shirts and baseball caps.

Security at Sunday's Mass is extremely tight, but people have still been pulled from the crowd and taken away on stretchers, BBC reported.

On a scorching day, the field gave little shelter from the sun and several people apparently suffered from heat stroke.

The Pope urged Catholics in Angola to encourage people "living in fear of spirits" into the Church. He said Catholics should reach out to those who believed in witchcraft and spirits.

Human rights groups say children in Angola have suffered abuse after being accused of possession by spirits.

Pope Benedict arrived from Cameroon to Angola to continue his African tour.