VATICAN (CNS): In just five years as leader of the universal Church, Pope Francis has made 22 international trips, travelling 249,297 kilometres—the equivalent of six times around the world.
 
The pope has also declared 880 new saints, including the martyrdom of an estimated 800 Italian laypeople killed by Ottoman soldiers in the 15th century.
 
The Vatican released those numbers, detailing the many papal events, documents, travels and accomplishments over the past five years, and more on March 17. 
 
According to the statistics, the 81-year-old pope has:
• Created 61 new cardinals.
 
• Led 219 general audienc
es, with catechetical series that include reflections on the sacraments, the Church, the family, mercy and the Mass.
 
• Issued 41 major documents, including the encyclicals, Lumen fidei (Light of Faith) and Laudato Si’ (Praise be: On care for our common home), and the apostolic exhortations, Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel)and Amoris Laetitia (Joy of Love).
 
• Prayed the Angelus and Regina Coeli with visitors 286 times.
 
• Completed 22 trips abroad, 18 pastoral visits within Italy and 16 visits to parishes in Rome—the the pope is bishop of Rome.
 
• Made nine other visits to churches for special events and places of worship in Rome, including the city’s synagogue and Rome’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church, Anglican church and the Ukrainian Catholic Basilica of Santa Sophia.
 
• Called four synods of bishops: two on the family, this year’s synod on young people and a synod on the Amazon in 2019.
 
• Declared two special years: on consecrated life and the extraordinary Year of Mercy.
 
• Established or proclaimed seven special days, including World Day of the Poor, 24 Hours for the Lord and a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, South Sudan and Congo.
 
• Attended or announced three World Youth Days (Brazil, Poland and Panama for 2019). 
 
The period spans 19 March 2013—the solemnity of St. Joseph, the official start of Pope Francis’ pontificate—to 19 March 2018.