Pope Francis will wrap up the first leg of his three-nation visit to South America.  He’ll visit the elderly and give a pep talk to local priests in Ecuador before flying to Bolivia – where the pontiff is planning to use the local treatment in case he suffers altitude sickness in the world’s highest capital.

Pope Francis’ time in La Paz, Bolivia is being limited to a few hours, because of the altitude – 3640 meters above sea level.  That’s especially taxing on him not only for his age, but because he had part of one of his lungs removed after suffering an infection when he was a child. 

The Bolivian culture ministry says Francis has requested to chew coca leaves to chew on in case he has to deal with altitude sickness while in Bolivia.  Coca leaves are the raw ingredient for cocaine, but for centuries have been used by indigenous peoples to deal with the thinner atmosphere up there.

Earlier in Quito, Ecuadorian officials say more than 20 people had to be treated for hypothermia after spending the night in the open in Bicentennial Park waiting to see Francis.  More than 300,000 people attended the Pope’s mass there.  He called for a more fair economic and ecological world order.

“As stewards of these riches which we have received, we have an obligation toward society as a whole and toward future generations,” Francis said.  “We cannot bequeath this heritage to them without proper care for the environment, without a sense of gratuitousness born of our contemplation of the created world.”