It was a familiar line or argument we hear every time there is World Youth Day being held. The same line of offense used by the enemies of the church who had nothing good to do but to spread lies and attack the Catholic Church. we heard it before, now we are hearing it again.

The Lie

Apparently, Spanish protesters who oppose the visit of Pope Benedict XVI are planning to disrupt the event by marching along Madrid with a slogan questioning the government’s use of tax money of the people in celebrating World Youth Day. According to these Spanish Pinocchios, the Spanish Government is shelling out 60 Million Euros for the event, a bad timing for a country who is experiencing economic crisis, budget cuts and high unemployment rate. These protesters also whine about being expelled from Madrid from their tent cities in time for the celebration and getting jealous on the freedom that young pilgrims are enjoying all over Madrid while they are banned to hold protest wherever they want. On August 17, Indignados, and these protesters together with 120 *confused* priests are going to hold a protest at the eve of Pope Benedict XVI’s arrival.

The Truth

In Defense of the World Youth Day, organizers in Madrid has labeled the accusations as false, lies and misleading. Truth is according to them, World Youth Day finances will not be taken from the state, contrary to what these people are trumpeting about. In Fact not a single cent will be taken from the Government. I REPEAT: NOT A SINGLE CENT WILL BE COMING FROM THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT. “Ni un solo centavo SE VIENE DEL GOBIERNO ESPAÑOL”. In fact, 80% of the expense of the event will actually be financed by thousands of young people coming from all over the world, delegates and pilgrims who will flock to Madrid with their registration fees. 20% of the remaining expense is financed by corporate sponsors and individual Catholics. Actually, the Spanish Government would profit at least $140 Million dollars from this event alone through commodities, hotels, and tourism. This is the reason WYD survives every two or three years because of this simple economy.

WYD Economics 101

The economics of World Youth Day is very simple: Participants pay for registration fees. Instead of getting a luxurious hotel suit, they get catholic families to host them in their homes. The food they will eat is already included in the fees they paid, The transportation is also covered by the fees. Pilgrims mostly walk during these event, that’s why the young participants are called pilgrims and not tourists. Transportation will only be required when transferring from one major event to another. Their shirts are mostly from their group expenses. Kits and souvenirs are already paid for by their fees. Poor Countries who cannot pay for the entire fee will be subsidized by pilgrims coming from wealthy countries.

Catholic entrepreneurs and executives donate money as a seed bed to be used by the Church. Sponsors one by one offer donations to recoup some expenses on advertising, logistics, and security.

For the manpower, catholic businessmen, professionals, entrepreneurs, and religious priests and nuns unite and work hand in hand, offering any kind of imaginable help they can extend the world youth day from printing shirts, publishing books, feeding pilgrims etc. World Youth Day doesn’t pay doctors, nurses, engineers, architects, florists and the likes. They are Catholics. They give their professional services for free.

Liturgical vestments are made and embroidered by nuns. Fabrics used in the vestments are mostly donated. Chauffeurs in Car services are volunteers. Vehicle services are offered for free by Catholic Individuals. Construction workers are mostly catholic Volunteers. Digital artists, graphic artists and advertising agencies are mostly for free because of Volunteers coming from these sectors.

logistics such as laptops, computers, mainframes, buses, stage lights are all donated by Corporate sponsors.

Workers in World Youth Day have no allowance. They are all Volunteers from around the world who are also not exempted from spending their dollars and money within Spain. Volunteers for World Youth day in Madrid is 30,000. If each wyd volunteers would spend a minimum of $5 per day, they would spend $150,000 solely on Spanish Soil. for the seven days spent in Madrid, these volunteers would shell out $1,050,000.and that is from the volunteers only. Wait till you compute the money which 1 Million Pilgrims would spend on Madrid once the events kick in.

Selling Bottled water alone would give Spain an enormous profit because you are talking about an estimated Million people walking and standing under the sun. Add the food that restaurants would sell during the week for hungry pilgrims will be massive. Souvenirs alone would make a good profit since pilgrims like to buy stuff that will make them remember the event. Not to mention the aftermath of this journey wherein young people will opt to stay longer than usual to travel within spain and spend dollars in tourism.

Of course, World Youth Day is not for profit. It has always been the spiritual welfare of the young people which is the priority of the event. Yet, when protesters ask for concrete computations of possible profit, those are your figures. You don’t have to be an economist to figure out the numbers.

This kind of World Youth Day economics has been done and repeated many times in past World Youth Days. Truth is, World Youth Days bring more people from around the world in host cities more than the Olympics itself. These lies spread by the enemies of the Church who are so eager to destroy the event’s credibility has been used so many times yet they didn’t succeed.

Old Story

In Australia during WYD 2008 in Sydney, atheists slams the Church for spending tax money on the event. Yet after the one week celebration, the Australian Government profited almost $190 Million dollars from tourism and pilgrim spending.

In Britain, the visit of Pope Benedict XVI made a stir denouncing government efforts to finance the Pope’s visit. Yet after the Pastoral Trip, UK gained more tourists and an increase in number of vocations and Catholic converts.

These criticisms are normal and tolerable as long as they would not endanger the lives of innocent pilgrims. But despite unfounded fears by these groups, it has been proven time and time again that World Youth Day, with or without Government support, will still continue to be celebrated.

The money aspect for each world youth Day event was never a priority, although it is necessary. What the Catholic church is after in every World Youth Day is the rejuvenation, invigoration and social transformation of thousands of young people from all over the world who will someday become leaders of our countries.

So how much will Spain profit from World Youth Day?

Priceless. The conversion, social trasnformation and promotion of the faith which WYD will bring to Spain surpasses any kind of financial profit — It is the Joy and Peace that the world cannot give.

Spanish seamstresses volunteer in sewing WYD Liturgical vestmnets that will be used for the events

Construction workers and painters in WYD are mostly volunteers

WYD Volunteers add finishing touches to the newly built confessionals

Choir members, choir masters, singers, musicians and musical arrangers all volunteered for the official WYD madrid Choir

Catholic Couples also volunteered to be souvenir merchants

Highly technological nuns volunteered as broadcasters in covering WYD 2011 on TV

WYD 2011 Madrid boasts of 30,000 volunteers from all over the world ranging from the youngest to the oldest, all are working as early as January 2011 until the end of the event. These Volunteers work for free all for the Glory of God.