How many bishops and other eligible participants attended the opening of the First Vatican Council?

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Photograph of Pope Pius IX — Pius IX Pius IX is the longest-reigning pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. His pontificate lasted from 1846 to 1878.

At the formal opening of the First Vatican Council on December 8, 1869, approximately 700 bishops and other eligible participants were in attendance. In total, there were about 1,050 individuals who were eligible to participate in the council, with a few additional attendees arriving after the opening session.1