Germans are known for being punctual, so perhaps it should be no surprise that Pope Benedict was the first person signed up for World Youth Day 2013.

Registration officially opened Aug. 28, and, according to organizers, the pope was the first pilgrim to be registered for the event, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro July 23-28.

Pilgrims from Canada, the United States, Australia, China, Aruba and the United Arab Emirates were among the first of the early registrants.

Groups of up to 50 people are encouraged to book early, organizers said.

Registration should be done online on the official WYD Rio 2013 website, www.rio2013.com.