During the Mass in Spanish, with a translation into English, the Pope spoke of the devastating impact of Typhoon Haiyan on people in Tacloban.
He told the faithful that "so many of you in Tacloban have lost everything. I don't know what to say - but the Lord does… He underwent so many of the trials that you do".
There was silence as the many thousands here in the deeply Catholic Philippines bowed their heads in prayer, the only noise the rain splashing onto the muddy ground beneath, reports the BBC's Caroline Wyatt.
At the scene: Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC News, Tacloban
The rain is pouring in Tacloban. But that is not discouraging hundreds of thousands of people from coming out to see Pope Francis.
Many began assembling at the airport before sunset on Friday, standing patiently in the open all night in their clear plastic ponchos. No umbrellas are being allowed.
One family I met had driven 18 hours from Davao City in Mindanao. They didn't have any tickets for the mass, but were unconcerned, only hoping to take a small part in what is the biggest event this city has ever seen.
Tacloban is still recovering from Typhoon Haiyan, which killed 7,000 people here just over a year ago. Pope Francis will meet families of some of the victims. One is Dr Clara Rosa. She lost 11 members of her family.
I asked her what it meant to her to meet Pope Francis today. "It is like having a friend visit you while you are grieving" she said, struggling to hold back tears. "You are happy your friend has come, but it is for a very sad reason."
A national holiday has been declared in the capital for the duration of the Pope's visit.
Security is very tight, with tens of thousands of soldiers and police deployed, after failed attempts to kill two previous popes in the Philippines.
The centrepiece of Pope Francis' visit will be an open-air Mass in Manila on Sunday, which is expected to attract millions
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