2008-12-30 14:43:57

More than 2 million people saw Pope in 2008


(Dec.30, 2008):- In 2008, more than 2.21 million people saw Pope Benedict XVI in person at the Vatican or the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo, attending his weekly general audience, a special audience with him, a liturgy he celebrated, or his Sunday Angelus address, according to figures released Dec. 29 by the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household. The total figure for 2007 was more than 2.8 million pilgrims and visitors, while in 2006, the total was more than 3.2 million. According to the 2008 figures, a total of 534,500 people attended one of Pope Benedict's 42 weekly general audiences. Another 226,500 people were part of groups that had a special audience with the pope. Pope Benedict's Masses and prayer services drew 324,000 people, and his Sunday and holy day recitation of the Angelus brought 1.13 million people to St. Peter's Square, or to the courtyard of the papal summer villa at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. The Vatican said in 2004, late Pope John Paul II's last full calendar year as pope, the number of people who attended a papal event was 2.23 million.








All the contents on this site are copyrighted ©.