Little does baby Tumi know that yesterday’s historic kiss by Pope Benedict during World Youth Day continues her family’s religious lineage that spans six generations. More than 150 years after the death of her canonised relative, Vietnamese preacher Joseph Luu, Tumi was yesterday one of just three babies to be embraced in the Pontiff’s gentle arms. Tumi’s family believes it was the intercession of her great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Saint Joseph Luu, that led to her unexpected audience with Pope Benedict XVI yesterday. An estimated 400,000 people turned out for World Youth Day’s final event, the Final Mass, which was offered at Randwick racecourse.

[Slideshow View]

Earlier, tens of thousands of cheering pilgrims who had spent Saturday night sleeping under the stars lined the perimeter of the venue crying, “Viva il Papa!” as the papal motorcade completed a slow circuit. Like many other young mothers around her, Bichly Le held her youngest daughter aloft as the official procession approached. “A gentleman from security picked her up . . . I had lifted her very high because I just wanted the Pope to see her. I was hoping he would wave at her or bless her,” she said. “I didn’t know he would take her. I thought he might tell me to back off because maybe I’d gone too far, but he said, ‘It’s OK’.

“I let him take her, and the Pope was kissing her. I was crying – it’s a moment I will never forget.” long with husband Tu, Mrs Le has been heavily involved with World Youth Day. The family has billeted nine pilgrims at their Cabramatta home for the past week. Mrs Le said her unwavering faith in St Joseph Luu had guided her through difficult periods in her life. “Over the past few months we’ve been having a hard time financially because of rising interest rates, so I’ve been praying to him. “It hasn’t made a difference financially, but this happening, I think, is more important than anything.”

Clare Hill, who turned one last week, got a belated birthday present when she was also picked out of the crowd to be blessed by the Pope. Her proud father Peter said it was an “emotional” moment and described it as a blessing on his family. “They carried the baby over to the popemobile, the electric window went down, the Holy Father took hold of Clare and gave her a blessing and a kiss,” Mr Hill, from the South Coast, said yesterday. “The crowd nearby wanted to be photographed with Clare straight afterwards and to kiss her,” he said. World Youth Day organisers were last night similarly grateful to Pope Benedict as they reflected on the enormous success of the Catholic youth festival.

Speaking at yesterday’s Mass, Cardinal George Pell extended his “profound thanks” to the Pontiff, adding a special message to the 215,000 registered pilgrims who took part in the week-long event. “You have planted a seed here in the great south land that will, please God, yield a hundredfold harvest,” he said. WYD co-ordinator Bishop Anthony Fisher said Sydney had extended its heart and arms. “Sydney has really been struck by a tsunami of faith and goodwill,” Bishop Fisher said. “I want to thank Sydney – it has opened its roads, its fridges, its homes, its halls, its arms and hearts to the young people.” Bishop Fisher said he had been touched by the personal accounts he had heard since the festival began on July 15.

“So many people have contributed to this. I have heard of train drivers and bus drivers taking extra shifts,” he said. Bishop Fisher said images of Sydney and World Youth Day had been beamed to almost a billion viewers, and last Friday’s dramatisation of the Stations of the Cross had been described as one of the most moving renditions ever seen. “There were so many activities to make it a very, very special week. “The wonderful messages and wonderful preaching of the Holy Father (made it special).”
Almost half the registered pilgrims were from overseas. They are expected to begin their journey home from today, with Sydney Airport predicted to experience its busiest day ever. After a ceremony to thank World Youth Day’s 800 volunteers, Pope Benedict will fly back to Rome this morning. But the church has admitted the future of Catholicism in Australia remains unknown, despite the popularity of World Youth Day.