The Latest: Pope urges Mapuche to avoid violence

Pope Francis is urging the indigenous Mapuche people to reject violence in pushing their cause.

Francis made the comments Wednesday while celebrating Mass in Temuco. The city is the capital of the Araucania region, where many of Chile's estimated 1 million people of Mapuche descent live.

The Mapuche have been pushing for a return of ancestral lands and recognition of their language and culture. A small minority has used violence to push its cause.

In recent years, scores of churches have been burned in the region. In just the last week, at least 10 churches in Chile have been firebombed. No arrests have been made.

Francis says that a culture of reconstruction can't be based in violence.

Francis says "you cannot assert yourself by destroying others because this only leads to more violence and destruction."

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10:55 a.m.

Pope Francis is paying homage to Chileans who were tortured or killed at an air base where he is celebrating Mass.

Francis made the remarks during his homily at an outdoor Mass at the Maqueue aerodrome in Temuco.

Francis said the area is "the site of grave violations of human rights."

He said that the Mass was being offered for all those who have suffered or died.

Many years before the 1973-1990 military dictatorship, the land was taken from the indigenous Mapuche people. To this day, it's a point of conflict for many who argue the land should be returned.

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10:05 a.m.

Pope Francis is preparing to celebrate Mass in an area that represents a centuries-old conflict with indigenous peoples and that was used as a torture facility during the country's bloody military dictatorship.

The Maquehue Air Base in Temuco was built on land taken from the indigenous Mapuche in the early 20th century.

It was also used as a detention center during the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet. Those two things make it a place steeped in painful history for both the Mapuche and families of victims of the dictatorship.

Thousands greeted Francis Wednesday as he rode in his popemobile on arrival in Temuco. It's the pope's second full day in the Andean nation of 17 million people. On Tuesday, Francis met with survivors of priest abuse and asked for forgiveness for the abuse.