Sydney was recently invaded by men in frocks. No, it wasn’t the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, it was the Catholic World Youth Day—or WYD—for which thousands of rapturous Catholic youth from around the world stormed our shores.

Held over six days, WYD has been billed as a “Catholic Woodstock” and reached its culmination (I’d say “climax,” but one rather suspects that would not be in keeping with church strictures) on Sunday the 20th of July with a concluding mass by Pope Benedict XVI.

This, however, was not just a celebration of Catholic faith, it was the product of significant policy, financial, logistical and diplomatic effort.

It has also been a target of political activism and has provided a focus for the victims of abuse by Catholic clergy. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, himself a bit of a self-proclaimed “God botherer” (to borrow a quaint, but expressive Australianism)—turned out to encourage the throng. “Some say there is no place for faith in the 21st century. I say they are wrong. Some say that faith is the enemy of reason, I say, also they are wrong,” he proclaimed, causing further alarm to committed secularists about his ability to separate his personal religious beliefs from his approach to public policy.

About a quarter of Australians identify nominally as Catholics, although the church itself considers that only about 5% are “disposed to play even a minimally active role in countering secularism.”

Even so, the New South Wales state government contributed $85 million of public funds towards WYD and established a World Youth Day Coordinating Authority to oversee the event. Not only that, but the State parliament passed special legislation—the World Youth Day Act—designed to prevent activists from inconveniencing or even “annoying” WYD organisers and participants.

The “NoToPope Coalition”—under threat by the “move on provisions” of the special legislation for such annoying offences as handing out condoms and wearing annoying t-shirts with annoying slogans—successfully challenged the annoyance provisions of the legislation before the Federal Court which ruled that the State had overreached itself.

New South Wales Police have been on the defensive for weeks now—nothing unusual in the powers sought, they argued. Business as usual, they said, citing similarly draconian legislation enacted to protect visiting heads of state during last year’s APEC meeting in Sydney.

On that occasion, the crew of a satirical TV show, “The Chaser’s War on Everything,” breached the security perimeter with a limousine flying the Canadian flag from the front fender while inside, one of the show’s anchors sat dressed as Osama Bin Laden. They were arrested and charged but those charges were later dismissed in court.

The police grumbled of course, but then, for most police the world over, too much authority is never enough. When have you ever heard a cop say “we have too many powers”?

But back to World Youth Day. Although billed as an ecumenical event, it is unabashedly Catholic through and through. Indeed, Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Sydney on 13 July and was accorded all the usual protocols owed to a head of state, meeting the Governor-General and members of the government.

The event has dominated news coverage for weeks although there is significant public bemusement. If letters to the editor and talkback radio are any guide, many Australians do not understand why significant public monies, special legislation and crippling traffic restrictions have been laid on for an event that is, in effect, a religious festival.

The clue is in the word “event.” All Australian states have for years had a “major events” agency through which each jurisdiction vies with the others to attract, well, major events.

Major events—be they motor sports, conventions, meetings of world leaders and, yes, even the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras—are coveted, sought after and actively courted by the state major events agencies (well, maybe not the Mardi Gras, but not for homophobic reasons, rather for its indelible association with Sydney).

Major events are important economic multipliers, locally and nationally.

For the WYD, 100,000 domestic and 125,000 international customers—sorry, pilgrims—converged on Sydney, all requiring accommodation, transport, food and drink.

The total cost to taxpayers is estimated at about $164 million from both state and federal governments. The estimated money spent per pilgrim is between $1,100 and $1,200 for the six-day event, representing an economic boost to the local economy of about $247-270 million.

Tourism authorities are also looking to the benefits of “downstream marketing” as happy pilgrims share the joys of Australia with friends and family. Also, images of Australia have beamed around the world via TV and the internet (an estimated 1 billion will have watched the “stations of the cross” procession on TV worldwide). This is marketing gold to tourism agencies.

It is also hoped that the more well-off among the pilgrims will lay over for an extended post-coital (immaculate, of course) holiday in Australia—aided by special 90 day visas offered to pilgrims from overseas.

Frankly, governments don’t care what code of football you play, Aussie Rules, League, Union, the round ball game or even, God forbid, American Gridiron: if it pumps dollars into the economy, they’ll back it. Put another way, if it pays, it plays (or, in this case, prays).

If they have to trample on the rights of a few malcontent protesters, or inconvenience thousands of commuters, or otherwise restrict the quiet enjoyment of their city by Sydneysiders, then so be it.

A celebration of youth and faith and spirit this may be, but it is also a celebration of money. Although there have been no reported sightings of Pope on a Rope, the marketing machine is in high gear with all the high church kitzch you might ever want to buy on offer. Clearly, there is much gammon and mammon underlying WYD.

In the meantime, the Catholic Church continues to make the fortunes of its legal advisers who trenchantly contest all claims against it for the harm done by sexual predators among the clergy. For make no mistake, the Catholic Church takes the protection of its brand very seriously.

Indeed, one Australian bishop, responding publicly to the testament of a father whose two daughters were raped as children by a Catholic priest—one later committing suicide after years of vigorously contested legal action—referred, callously, to those who are “dwelling crankily . . . on old wounds.”

No doubt the faithful experienced something special: a communion of shared faith and belief that transcends cultural, national and racial boundaries.

No doubt they experienced great joy, spent a few bob and had a lot of fun (too much so for some of the senior clergy who criticised the unseemly levels of hedonism evident among the flock, possibly preferring sack cloth and self mortification to youthful exuberance).

One does wonder, however, whether a convergence of Islamic youth would be as welcome, feted and primed with public funds as was the WYD.

It would be interesting to see whether the security apparatus of the state would be harnessed in aid of such an event and the rights of residents circumscribed to give participants the freedom of the city, wouldn’t it.