Vatican and Brazilian officials reported that 3.7 million people gathered on July 28, 2013, to see Pope Francis celebrate World Youth Day on the iconic Copacabana beach in the world’s largest Catholic country. However, number crunchers disputed the figure, saying the actual number was not even half that.
The research director of Datafolha, one of Brazil’s top polling and statistical firms, stated that based on the size of the crowd area and reasonable density estimates, the turnout was more likely between 1.2 million and 1.5 million people.
According to the Vatican’s count, the crowd density throughout the entire area—about 497,000 square meters (594,400 square yards or 5.3 million square feet)—would have been 7.4 people per square meter, which wouldn’t allow for any movement, let alone the jumping, arm-waving, singing, and dancing seen at the papal events.
Video and photos of the crowd also showed that while it was packed close to the gigantic altar built on Copacabana beach, the crowd thinned out along the 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) stretch of the beach.
In 1979, St. John Paul II returned to his hometown of Krakow for his first visit to Poland after his elevation to the papacy. His Mass drew nearly 2 million people, according to the Polish Catholic news agency KAI, despite pressures from the Soviet-backed regime.
Altogether, at least 6 million of Poland’s 35 million people saw the pontiff along the route of his pilgrimage through multiple cities, including city squares and open fields across the country. He delivered his farewell Mass on the outskirts of Krakow in a voice that was hoarse and wavering after nine days of speeches, Masses, and other appearances before enthusiastic and adoring crowds.
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