33,979,661 euros: This is the amount incurred by the state and the city of Lisbon to organize WYD. The announcement from the public authorities was expected. In a country marked by a strong rise in secularism, public financing of a religious event has been widely criticized at a time when the country is struggling with galloping inflation.
The invoice, for the state and the communities, is lower by one million euros than the forecasted budget capped at 35 million euros. This is undoubtedly a consequence of the controversy which broke out at the beginning of the year, when the price of the colossal design of the contemporary altar envisaged for the celebration of the Papal Mass had been revealed by the press, leading to a review of artistic ambitions.
As a measure of satisfaction, and in order to silence criticism, the municipality emphasizes that of the 34 million euros in costs incurred, approximately 23.9 million (or almost 70%), “constitute sustainable investments for the future of the capital.”
And the municipality points out the development of Tejo park, the bridge reserved for cyclists and pedestrians over the Trancao river, as well as brand new equipment provided for the fire brigades, the municipal police, and civil protection.
Of the nearly 34 million euros spent, the state contributed 18.2 million euros according to the statement made on October 10 by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“It was not possible, after what was agreed between the government and the local authorities, not to respect what responsibilities we had to fulfill, whether in terms of mobility, health, or concerning all the logistical operations in which we had to be involved.
“Budgetary rigor also means that, of the 20 million that were given as a limit, the State spent 18,245,996 euros,” Ana Catarina Mendes explained to the deputies of the Parliamentary Commission for Public Administration.
As for returns on investments, nothing has filtered out so far: “The responsibility for the calculation lies with the organizers,” the municipality reports. Because the amount of costs incurred by the state and local authorities should not neglect the fact that the bill is indeed a little heavier than it seems.
In January 2023, the total forecast budget for the 2023 edition of WYD was around 160 million euros, and it is not known at this time what were the amount of costs incurred by the Church, nor how the slate could be financed.
If the current context is ignored, it must be remembered that the Pope is a foreign sovereign whose visits are facilitated by public funds. In addition, the Portuguese population is at least 80% Catholic.
The Portuguese State and Lisbon City Hall have just published their respective reports on the costs generated by preparations and organization of World Youth Day (WYD), which was held in the country from August 1 to 6, 2023. The high costs caused many people to question the public financing of a religious event.