Pope's silent prayers as he visits Nazi death camp

He listened to Michael Shudrich, Poland’s Chief Rabbi, recite psalm 130 – “From the depths I have called out to you, o Lord” – in Hebrew.

In the death camp’s commemorative book, the head of the Catholic Church wrote: “Lord, have pity on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty.”

He carried a memorial candle and spent several minutes alone in the cell where St Maximilian Kolbe, a Catholic priest, was killed.

It is the first Papal visit to the site in 10 years - two previous popes have visited: John Paul II in 1979 and Pope Benedict in 2006