( CNN ) -- Brazilian military police say they destroyed a small explosive device over the weekend after discovering the item in a bathroom near a sanctuary Pope Francis is scheduled to visit later this week . The device was found in Aparecida , where Francis is scheduled to visit a historic Roman Catholic sanctuary Wednesday . It had `` low destructive power '' and was n't in an area on the pope 's route or in an area where pilgrims would be gathering , military police in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo confirmed to CNN . The explosive was made from a small plastic cylinder wrapped in duct tape , they said . `` The artifact was sent to military authorities for verification , '' police said . `` Security personnel quickly cordoned the area off . '' A tactical squad was called in to destroy the device `` without any further risk , '' police said . Francis landed in Rio de Janeiro on Monday for the start of the Roman Catholic Church 's World Youth Day . Hundreds of thousands of pumped-up young Catholic pilgrims are on hand for the weeklong festival , hosted by a country eager for good news after a summer of protests . Anger over high taxes , corruption and lavish spending on the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament spurred Brazilians to turn out for the largest protests seen in 20 years . The demonstrations , held in Sao Paulo , Rio and the capital of Brasilia , were sparked by a planned increase in bus fares in June . Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff promised to address the concerns , announcing that she heard `` the direct message from the streets '' for better services and social reforms . Singing priests revive Catholic Church in Brazil .
They found ` ` homemade device '' near site of upcoming papal visit . The device was found ` ` without any further explanation , '' he said . Francis landed in Rome for World Youth Day on Monday .