Madrid, Spain, Feb 28, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Since its publication one month ago, more than 515,000 copies of Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical “Deus Caritas est” have been distributed in Spain. Publishers have announced they will be printing a new edition in order to meet the demand.
Europa Press reports that of the total number sold, 350,000 copies were distributed by religious media outlets, while the other 165,000 were sold by the five main Catholic publishers.
Among the religious media, Alfa and Omega distributed the most, with about 340,000 copies. The magazine “Eclessia” distributed around 10,000 and the publisher Edibesa distributed 45,000 copies, or 5000 per day, since the publication of the encyclical.
Antonio Pelillo Moraza, commercial director of the Library of Christian Authors, told Europa Press the first 15,000 copies of the encyclical sold out before the end of January and that a new issue would be forthcoming.
The publisher San Pablo issued two editions numbering 60,000 copies, which sold out during January as well. The Spanish Conference of Bishops also published 15,000 copies.