By Sarah Mac Donald - 30 December, 2014
The Holy See released new figures on Monday showing almost six million people attended papal events at the Vatican in 2014.
According to the Prefecture of the Papal Household an estimated 5,916,800 people attended gatherings led by Pope Francis.
The figure is slightly lower than 2013, the year Pope Francis was elected, when 6,600,000 people attended papal events at the Vatican.
These figures do not include those who attended papal events outside the Vatican, such the Pope’s visits to Turkey and the Middle East.
Roughly 1,199,000 people attended the Pope’s general audiences, 567,100 attended special audiences, 1,110,700 attended liturgical celebrations, and 3,040,000 attended his Angelus addresses.
During the Great Jubilee Year 2000, attendance at papal events was 8,515,088; however, the number fell to 2,231,800 in 2004, the last full year of St John Paul II’s reign.
In 2006, 4,078,600 people attended events led by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during the first full year of his reign. Attendance in 2011 was 2,553,800.
