Pope Benedict XVI was treated to a rock star welcome as he greeted young Catholics yesterday.

The piazza outside Westminster Cathedral was packed with up to 2,500 youngsters from dioceses in England, Wales and Scotland.

They cheered and whistled enthusiastically as the Pope appeared on the steps after giving Mass.

There was a sea of cameras and mobile phones directed towards the Pontiff, with some people climbing lampposts or sitting on shoulders to get a better view.

Among the crowd there was a young worshipper sporting a huge Mohican hairstyle.

Flags were waved and one banner read: ‘We love our German shepherd.’

The Pope was greeted by Paschal Uche, 21, a student at Nottingham University, who told him: “For many of us before today you were a face on television or a picture in a church.

“But today we behold you face to face, and on behalf of the Catholic youth of this great nation I would like to express my profound and heartfelt gratitude for your visit.”

The Pope was cheered as he said: “Thank you for your warm welcome.”

He said: “I ask each of you, first and foremost, to look into your own heart. Think of all the love that your heart was made to receive, and all the love it is meant to give. After all, we were made for love.”

He said while at times “our hearts brim over with generosity”, at other times “our hearts can easily be hardened by selfishness, envy and pride”.

He urged followers to “look into your hearts each day to find the source of all true love”.

He continued: “Even amid the ‘busyness’ and the stress of our daily lives, we need to make space for silence, because it is in silence that we find God, and in silence that we discover our true self.”

After the speech, a chant went up of: “We are the faithful!”

Speaking afterwards, Mr Uche said: “It was just amazing. It was a brilliant experience. The crowd was roaring, it was an amazing feeling. Words can’t describe it.

“The young people really did show with their voices, hearts and smiles how much we do love him.

“In a sense it was a rock star welcome and he really responded to that.”

He said when he finished welcoming the Pope, he was surprised to see the 83-year-old get up off his chair.

He said: “I rushed in to make sure I shook his hand. At first I didn’t really know what to say. Then I asked him for a blessing.”

Mr Uche, from east London, who worships at St Francis church in Stratford, said the Pope spoke to him again as they posed for pictures afterwards.

“He was asking where I’m from and what I hope to do when I’m older.

“He was just such a warm and gentle guy.”

Mr Uche said the Pope’s apology to abuse victims “was very heart-felt and very personal“.

He said: “He made us all understand that we all are sorry. The church is our family so if someone does something wrong we all are obliged in some way to be sorry and show compassion for the victims.”

Auta Pires, 70, who was also celebrating her birthday, said: “What a day to come here. We came to see our Holy Father. We can’t go to Rome so we came here instead.”

Her husband, Edward, 79, said: “It’s one thing to see the event on a television screen and another thing to see it in person.”

Then he added: “But we can’t see anything.”

His wife pitched in: “His presence is enough for us.”

The event saw a large police and security presence in place around the cathedral.

But even the officers were caught up in the buoyant atmosphere, with fervent young Catholics keen to offer them the sign of peace by shaking hands.