8/19/00 (EWTNews) Rome is experiencing the largest crowd in living memory. Despite the hottest weekend of the year, over two million young pilgrims from over 160 countries have journeyed to the Eternal City for World Youth Day. Sleeping in schools, convents, hotels, private homes or out in the open, the young faithful have gathered to celebrate World Youth Day which culminates on Sunday with a Papal Mass.

``We are well over two million,'' Rome mayor Francesco Rutelli told reporters as the 80-year-old Pope arrived by helicopter from his summer residence to begin a Prayer Vigil on Saturday night. The attendance at this year's World Youth Day is believed to be the second-largest crowd at a Papal event. The largest being the celebration of World Youth Day in Manila, the Philippines, in 1995 when more than four million attended.