The stage that the Lisbon City Council has prepared for World Youth Day has attracted the attention of the international community for one detail—its construction will cost almost five and a half million dollars.
The executive director of World Youth Day in Madrid in 2011, Yago de la Cierva, spoke about these expenses with the mayor of Lisbon, who will receive the Pope during the pilgrimage.
"I think the controversy regarding the stage is one that has no real basis and perhaps the confusion comes from a problem of miscommunication, that it has not been well explained," Yago de la Cierva said. "What the mayor explained to me is that an area of the city that was neglected and in poor condition has been improved. It has been left fully prepared for many events in the future."
He explains that good communication and financial planning are just as important in preparing for World Youth Day as building plans.
"The important thing is not only where the money comes from, but also to be transparent, to know to the last euro where it comes from and what it has been spent on. Transparency is fundamental because you have to be accountable. This is not only because society deserves it but also because the Church has said that you have to be accountable and Pope Francis is an example of this," he said.
De la Cierva further argues that although the purpose of the World Youth Days is not to bring money to the host country, if the organization is efficient, an event of this magnitude can be very beneficial.
"World Youth Day is big business for the city that organizes it, if it is organized well. If it is well organized, if you take care of the resources, are prudent, you do things with public support," he said.
The committee he participated in for the organization of World Youth Day in Madrid turned to PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Madrid Chamber of Commerce for a preliminary financial analysis. Both entities concluded that the economic impact on the Spanish economy would be in excess of almost $400 million.