Catholic festival 'bigger than Games'
Jul 09, 2005
A global Catholic youth festival could surpass the 2000 Olympics as Sydney's biggest event if the city wins the right to host the 2008 celebration, church leaders say.
(news.com.au, July 04, 2005) Cardinal George Pell left for Rome yesterday to lead a delegation to the Vatican to present the city's case to hold the 11th World Youth Day in 2008.
He is due to meet the Pontifical Council for the Laity on July 9 to discuss Sydney's bid.
Sydney's competition for the event is thought to be from South Africa and Brazil.
A decision on the successful country will be announced on August 21 - the final day of this year's festival in Cologne, Germany.
Cardinal Pell said the celebration would attract more than 250,000 visitors.
"We believe that we have the capacity in Sydney and throughout Australia to host this gathering; the spiritual strength, the organisational expertise and financial resources necessary," he said.
"If our bid is successful, Sydney will be host to an event bigger than the 2000 Olympics in terms of the numbers visiting.
"The benefits for Australia, both socially and spiritually, will be enormous."
A spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said Prime Minister John Howard had shown strong support for the bid.
Catholic festival 'bigger than Games'