Vatican: Four million faithful in Rome in 2016

St. Peter square.

According to the press agency I.Media on December 29, 2016, almost four million faithful participated in events – celebrations and the Angelus – with Pope Francis in Rome in 2016; in 2015 it was only 3.2 million. These statistics – “approximate” statistics according to the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household – do not include visits within the diocese of Rome, in the rest of Italy, or international apostolic travels in which the Pope met with millions of people.

In 2013 and 2014, 6.6 million and 5.9 million faithful participated in different pontifical activities. The Year of Mercy was not enough to draw as many as in the beginning of Francis’ pontificate.

(sources: cath.ch/imedia – DICI no.348 dated Jan. 20, 2017)