by Lisa Alves

SAO PAULO (CNS) – Members of the local organizing committee for World Youth Day say that, with the recent election of an Argentine pope, they expect up to 2.5 million young people at the international event in Rio de Janeiro.

“We currently have 200,000 pilgrims already registered, but registrations go on until the last day of the event,” said Carol de Castro, press coordinator for the local organizing committee. She said the committee expects 800,000 pilgrims to have registered by the start of the event, which runs July 23-28.

The Vatican has not announced the exact dates Pope Francis will attend but has indicated it will be his first international trip.

Castro said that although registration is not required for most of the events planned for World Youth Day, it is recommended, since with the registration, pilgrims will have access to free transportation to many of the events, help in finding accommodations and will receive a pilgrim’s kit with important information about the event and the city. If the pilgrim has opted for the packages that include meals, a list of accredited restaurants will be included.

Argentines make up the largest group of foreign nationals chosen to be volunteers during the six-day event, although volunteer registration had already closed when the name of the new pope was announced in late March. Approximately 15 percent of the 60,000 volunteers chosen are from Pope Francis’ birth nation.

Organizers say they expect that, by July 23, more than one million beds will be made available for pilgrims in family homes, schools, recreational centers and churches. The pilgrims will be able to stay free of charge in these locations.

Security in Rio de Janeiro should be tighter than normal in June and July, since the city is also hosting the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 at the end of June.