January 3, 2013 (Romereports.com)  Numbers released by the Vatican showed that nearly two and a half million people visited Benedict XVI at the Vatican in 2012, raising the total number of pilgrims to 20.5 million over the course of his seven year pontificate.


The Prefecture of the Papal Household said that in the past 12 months, 2,351,200 pilgrims attended one of the Pope's events at the Vatican. The vast majority of them (1,256,000) took part in the Sunday Angelus at St. Peter's Square or Castel Gandolfo.

Meanwhile, 447,000 took part in Wednesday's general audience; while an estimated 146,800 participated in other types of audiences with the Pope. Another half million people attended one of the liturgy celebrations led by Benedict XVI.

Since 2005, an estimated total of 20,544,970 pilgrims have participated in such events with the Pope.


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