Catholic World News News Feature
Total attendance breaks 1 million for Pope Benedict's audiences April 12, 2006
With at least 20,000 people attending the Wednesday public audience by Pope Benedict XVI on April 12, the total attendance at papal audiences during the past year has surpassed 1 million.
The prefecture of the pontifical household estimated the crowd at the Wednesday audience at 20,000. Most observers felt that estimate was extremely low, and the Vatican Information Service put the figure at 40,000.
But even the lower figure pushed total attendance at Wednesday audiences above 1 million since the start of Pope Benedict's pontificate. This was his 46th weekly audience.
After his prepared remarks (see the separate CWN news story, Pope Benedict spent some time greeting particular groups in attendance at the April 12 audience. He was saluted by a group of young English Catholics who sang "Happy Birthday," followed by a Polish group which sang birthday greetings in their own language. Pope Benedict will mark his 79th birthday on Easter Sunday, April 16.
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