"If you look back, you can acknowledge the abundant harvest that the Spirit has aroused through your prayers, your perseverance and your hard work. How many good seeds you have sown in these few days!". During his meeting with the benefactors and organizers of the 23rd WYD, the Pope expressed his gratitude "to all those who have contributed to the success of the event. He thanked them for the sacrifices they had made "in planning and realizing this wonderful day for the life of the Church in Australia", and "even more so" for "the trust you have shown in our youth and your confidence in the grace of God that is at work in their hearts". "May the investment of hope that many of you have made in them Benedict XVI exclaimed bear fruit in their lives, for the good of the life of the Church of Christ and for the future of our world!". During this WYD, thanks to the work of the organizing committee and of so many people, "the young people who came here from all over the world said the Pope have had the opportunity to experience the beauty of this country and the warm hospitality of the Australian people. For their part, they have enriched this land with the witness they have given to the love of Christ and the power of his Spirit operating in the Church".
