Pope Francis prays at Auschwitz-Birkenau

Pope Francis prays in St Maximilian Kolbe's cell at Auschwitz - Image: ICN screen shot

Pope Francis paid an emotional visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau this morning - site of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp where more than 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were put to death during the Second World War.

Prior to his visit to the camps, the Pope decided not to give a speech, saying he preferred to enter alone, in silent prayer. "I would like to go to that place of horror without speeches, without crowds - only the few people necessary," he explained. "Alone, enter, pray. And may the Lord give me the grace to cry."

The only sounds to be heard were the shutters of the ever present cameras as a solemn Pope Francis walked alone through the infamous gate that reads 'Arbeit macht frei' - 'work sets you free'.

The Pope was then driven in an electric car to the notorious block 11 - and the death cell where Franciscan priest, Fr Maximillian Kolbe was killed, after offering up his life for a younger, married man, 75 years ago. Fr Kolbe was locked in there with a group of people for several days. They sang and prayed together and died one by one. Fr Kolbe was the last one to die - his life ended with a lethal injection. The Holy Father prayed here in silence for several minutes.

Afterwards Pope Francis met a group of elderly survivors from this camp of terror. He greeted each one with a kiss on both cheeks and held their hands.

From Auschwitz Pope Francis went by electric car to Birkenau where he saw for himself the train tracks and carriages that brought hundreds of thousands of people to their deaths in the gas chambers.

Afterwards, Rabbi Schudrich, the Chief Rabbi in Poland, chanted Psalm 130 in Hebrew. Pope Francis then lay a votive lamp at the foot of the monument commemorating those people who never came home.