Guests on the South Lawn included Catholic clergy, ecumenical representatives, Catholic schoolchildren, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Sisters of the Poor and Knights of Columbus.

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Roy Page, managing director of Knights Leisure, said poor summer weather and events such as London 2012 and the Queen's Jubilee hit visitor numbers.

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Roy Page, managing director of Knights Leisure, said poor summer weather and events such as London 2012 and the Queen's Jubilee had caused "a major impact" on visitor numbers.

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At the end of the ceremony, the knights were addressed by Pope Benedict XVI who congratulated them for their charitable work among the sick and the poor.

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