Overseas Delegates
+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
21 Oct 2007
Last week 160 overseas delegates from 75 countries with 50 delegates from around Australia met in Sydney. They came to ask questions, make suggestions, review the proposed sites and carry forward preparations to bring their own groups of pilgrims to World Youth Day next year.
Also present was a delegation from the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity, which has responsibility for Catholic youth affairs. To the surprise of many the Vatican bureaucracy is quite small, with a Secretariat of State, like the Prime Minister’s department, nine senior departments called congregations, eleven new sections or councils set up after the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), three Church courts and some other agencies. A Polish archbishop, a German bishop, a French monsignor, an Irish laywoman and an Italian came in the Vatican team.
In fact the planning is proceeding well. Sydney’s experience with large events such as the Olympics and the Rugby World Cup means that we have a pool of experienced executives and this is a huge bonus.
Such a large event could not be held without the strong support of the Australian and New South Wales governments and bipartisan support. Prime Minister Howard and Premiers Carr and now Iemma have never hesitated in their backing since our initial approaches.
This reflects their awareness of the Catholic, and indeed wider Christian contribution to Australian life, but their help, both financial and in the provision of services, also recognizes the financial benefits tens of thousands of young pilgrims will make to the Sydney and Australian economy.
The food requirements for the week in Sydney alone give some indication of the wider challenges in e.g. accommodation and travel.
25 million food items will need to be prepared, packaged and distributed. 3.5 million meals will be served to registered pilgrims, 2 million bread rolls provided and last, but not least, 160,000 cans of baked beans will be consumed.
These will feed 40,000 young Americans, 20,000 Italians, 10,000 Germans, 6,000 New Zealanders and tens of thousands of young Aussies, probably 60,000 from interstate.
In the Rome Youth Day in 2000, 750,000 extra young pilgrims decided to come in the few months before the event, throwing accommodation plans into chaos. As Australia is an island and separated by huge distances from the large centres of Catholic population, we are protected from such a last minute rush from overseas.
However much work will be required to find sufficient flights into the different international airports, because Sydney airport, the largest in Australia, could not cope alone with such an influx.
Sydney provides a unique opportunity for participation, not only for Australians, but also for young Catholics from the islands of the Pacific, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. 10,000 are expected from New Zealand alone.
Australia has never seen anything quite like this.
