Pope Francis’ Luneta mass the largest Papal crowd in history — Lombardi

A record-breaking six million attendees came to Luneta for Pope Francis’ concluding Holy Mass on Sunday, January 18. (Photo courtesy of Radio-Television Malacanang)

MANILA — A Vatican official said the Mass that Pope Francis celebrated in Luneta Sunday drew the largest Papal crowds in history.

In an interview, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said said the crowds estimated at six million that heard Mass of the Pope was also so far the largest gatherings.

“In any case we have seen so many people and believe it is possible. If it’s true, it is good. This is the largest event of the history of the Pope Visit,” he said at the sidelines of the press briefing of the 2015 Papal Visit at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

In 1995, during the World Youth Day (WYD) event in Manila, some four or five million people attended the celebration, which was headed by then Pope John Paul II.

“Yes, we have no information of larger crowd than this Mass. If the numbers are correct six or seven million, we have never seen another such larger crowd,” he added.

The Catholic priest noted that in Rio de Janeiro for the WYD held in 2013, the attendees were only at two million.

Meanwhile, Lombardi said he was impressed on how the events unfolded especially the Luneta Mass celebrated by the Pope.

“It was really impressive… it was a wonderful celebration. I have to say it was very prepared and the music was wonderful. That was really an attempt to have a musical arrangement from North and South Philippines,” he added.