The Vatican official responsible for planning events in Rome for the
Year of Mercy has suggested that as many as 1 billion people may have
participated in Jubilee observances worldwide.
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the president of the Pontifical Council
for the New Evangelization, said that over 20 million people have been
registered for events in Rome during the Jubilee Year.
But because Pope
Francis encouraged events and observances in every diocese—with Holy
Doors in every diocese, for example—the archbishop speculated that
overall participation could be much higher.
The Vatican has kept an account of the number of people passing
through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s basilica, and provided estimates of
the crowds at other Jubilee events.
No statistics have been kept,
however, for participation worldwide.