Almost four million
faithful took part in Vatican meetings with Pope Francis in
2016, the Prefecture of the Papal Household said Thursday. It said the total at hearings, Angelus blessings and other meetings, at 3,952,140, was higher than the 3.2 million registered in 2015 because of the boost provided by the Holy Year Jubilee of Mercy.
In 2013 and 2014, the first two years of Francis' papacy, the numbers were 6.6 million and 5.9 million respectively.