Pope Francis, with input from the Vatican's central accounting office, also determined that volunteers could be used to help provide the labour needed to make up for the hiring freeze and eventual attrition.

The majority of the Holy See's annual expenditures are related to wages and other personnel costs for about 2800 people.

Its revenues come from contributions from dioceses and religious orders, returns from the Holy See's financial investments and profits from the Vatican Bank's investments.

There is a separate budget for Vatican City State, which employs nearly 1900 people, and receives substantial revenues and profits from the Vatican Museums and Vatican post office.

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The surplus was generated by accommodation, transport services and business such as food providers.

The director of the Hotel Industry Business Association in Madrid, Juan Jose Blardony, said three million meal tickets were distributed to young people throughout the week, valued at nearly NZ$39 million.

WYD organisers originally estimated the event would bring in NZ$170, which is much lower than the NZ$280 they now calculate.

The figures will now be given to an external auditor for final verification.

Other financial facts emerging from WYD 2011 include:

• World Youth Day generated 3 times the revenue made by the Champions League Final in 2010
• hotels reported a 70% occupancy rate compared with the normal 40% for around this time
• the City Council estimates 2% of tourism revenue for the country in one week

Violent protests repeatedly flared throughout the papal visit as between 3000-5000 anti-pope protesters voiced their concerns about the 50 million euro price tag of the four-day trip.

Priests from Madrid's poorest parishes also criticised the cost of the trip.

"We are not organising a protest against the Pope but to complain about an event which is very expensive in times of crisis and high unemployment," said Evaristo Villar, a priest and member of Redes Cristianos.

"An event of this kind has no place in a country with five million unemployed," he said.

The Spanish Government is yet to release the costs associated with policing the protests.

Sources

• CNA
• Rome Reports (YouTube)
• CathNews - WYD to cost Spanish taxpayers nothing
• CathNews - Spanish priests join opposition to cost of Pope's visit for WYD2011
• CathNews - Violent protests, a Kiss-in, Pro-condom lobby and hackers greet Pope at WYD
• Image: Inquirer News