The fact that diverse ecclesiastical activities and enterprises almost never elaborate any analysis of results is something which calls our attention most powerfully.

          Exactly the opposite happens in civil life where any firm, whether big or small, must make a minute study of profits or losses which reflect the results obtained from its activities. All firms pay careful attention to the success or the failure of their activities: how and why profits and dividends, if any, have been obtained, or losses incurred; otherwise, any increase in productivity would be improbable; even more, the ruin of the firm would most surely be inevitable.

          Ecclesiastical activities never look for monetary profit – although some people involved in them are experts in turning those activities into highly lucrative businesses. Their dividends exclusively refer to the supernatural world: the greatest good and advantage of souls; that is, the spreading and increasing of a solid Christian existence among men.

          And this particular characteristic is what makes the analysis of the results much more important, for what is at stake here are not economic profits but the salvation of men. Hence, it would be utter craziness not to examine this issue.

          We must seriously take into account something which is not usually considered: that the level of success and good results in this case cannot be measured based on the number of people taking part in the activity; nor on the coverage of the event by the media; nor on the magnitude and intensity of the enthusiasm and shouts of praise for the Pontiff – which, admittedly, would not be difficult to stir up, given the modern techniques used to manipulate popular masses; nor on the headings or catchphrases exhibited on banners or on the slogans chanted in unison; no, the success can only and exclusively be measured by the increase, or the lack of it, in Christian life among the Youth.[1]

          “During the Gathering of Youth which took place in Sidney, Australia, on July, 2008, His Holiness, Benedict XVI, said in one of his speeches that Australia has had the opportunity of knowing the young face of the Church. It is a beautiful phrase, undoubtedly true and deserving full acceptance, given the Person who pronounced it.

          “Nevertheless, as everybody knows, no corporation, whether big or small, no company which undertakes huge sociological enterprises usually takes into account either the content or the charm of beautiful sentences as the basis for its analysis of results; and, of course, it does not feel the constraint of being bound by Literature or Poetry. On the contrary, the analysis is based on very thorough studies, detailed with the help of meticulous calculations of economical, financial, mathematical, and statistical data. These studies examine, in depth, the vicissitudes engendered by every last penny, in order to reach the final conclusion, vital for the corporation, as to whether or not management yielded earnings or losses.

          “Undoubtedly, the Gatherings of Youth with the Pope, or World Youth Day, do not belong in this category of activities; but that is not an obstacle to their results being diligently examined. After all, they are a business – although referring in this case exclusively to the good of the Church and the salvation of souls. It is in this particular area where these Gatherings have given rise to some negative criticism which, although possibly questionable, deserves to be taken into account; for it not only has been made with the best of good will but also is based on evident facts which cannot be denied.

          “It is known with all certainty, for example, that pro-homosexual and pro-lesbian activists were very dynamic in spreading their ideas among the gathered youth; that protestant sects and Jewish propagandists worked tirelessly among them, often with abundant fruits. It is equally evident that there was a profuse circulation of contraceptives, abundant sexual activity and drugs use – there are graphic documents which leave no room for doubt. There also was more than a mere possibility of a mass profanation of the Body of Our Lord, given the custom in these tumultuous acts of worship of receiving the Eucharist indiscriminately. And let us add here that no positive results regarding an increment in the Christian life of the youngsters could be appreciated, neither in this last Gathering nor in the previous ones; things have been exactly business as usual, once the youngsters went back to their respective countries. Even worse, a significant regression in their Faith has taken place, which even they themselves do not bother to hide. (To be continued).

[1] For the following quotation, cf. Aflonso Gálvez, Siete Cartas para Siete Obispos, Vol. I, Shoreless Lake Press, New Jersey, 2009, pp. 275-277.