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Pope John Paul II prays the Mass at the Bascilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II will celebrate Mass before an expected 18,000 people Saturday at Mexico's Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, second only to the Vatican as the most important Catholic shrine in the world.

More than 20 million people make the pilgrimage annually to the shrine where tradition says a dark-skinned Virgin Mother appeared to a peasant, sparking the widespread conversion of Mexico's native population to Christianity.

The 78-year-old pontiff arrived Friday in Mexico, his fourth visit to the site of his first official papal trip 20 years ago. He was greeted by millions while city bells pealed a welcome.

"It is for me the cause of enormous joy to find myself again in this blessed land, where Saint Mary of Guadalupe is venerated as the beloved Mother," the pope said after his arrival.

According to legend, the Virgin of Guadalupe first appeared in 1531 on Tepeyac Hill, where the basilica now stands. She is said to have shown herself to Juan Diego, an Aztec peasant, leaving her image on his cloak.

"From that moment on, the evangelization of Mexico's Indians really began," said Hector Fernandez, a spokesman from the archbishop's office. "Their encounter with the cloak of the Virgin made conversions and the work of the missionaries very easy."

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The story then spread throughout Latin America, where the Virgin is also venerated.

Pope to do more than honor Mexico's patron saint

John Paul is expected to use Saturday's Mass to outline his vision of the future of the Roman Catholic church. On Friday, he signed a policy declaration that was believed to address several issues.

The document, the pope said, will aid the church's attempts to "be the seed of unity and not the cause of division of humanity."

Its text was 7not released, but it was expected to cover the increase of Protestantism in Latin America and John Paul's positions on prostitution, abortion and the death penalty.

The pontiff is to celebrate another Mass Sunday before an expected crowd of 800,000 at a Mexican racetrack.

He will conclude his visit to Mexico on Tuesday and fly to St. Louis, where he will meet with U.S. President Bill Clinton, address a youth rally and celebrate an indoor Mass.

Correspondent Lucia Newman, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.