3 Million Came to Rome to Say Goodbye

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 10, 2005 (Zenit.org).- In two millennium of Christianity, Rome had not received as many pilgrims as it did for John Paul II’s funeral.

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Data from the municipality show:

— 3 million pilgrims came to Rome to say goodbye to the Pope.

— Some 250,000 were able to participate in the funeral rites on Friday in St. Peter’s Square and in the Via della Conciliazione.

— About 1.4 million faithful rendered homage to John Paul II’s mortal remains in St. Peter’s Basilica.

— During the period, some 1.5 million passengers traveled in Rome’s subways.

— 10,000 volunteers of the Civil Protection, the municipality of Rome, the Boy Scouts, and other organizations assisted.

— 8,963 members of the security forces helped maintain public order.

On Saturday, on behalf of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo thanked the Italian authorities for “the perfect and appreciated organization around the exceptional event of these days.”

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