KEY POINTS:
This was the calm before the storm: roadways eerily devoid of cars, pedestrians strolling in the middle of George Street - suicide at any other time - and smaller tribal gatherings of World Youth Day pilgrims as other events took their attention.
The police were there, and in
George Street there were baby versions of the steel fences that had so starkly divided the city's downtown during last year's Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation summit.
Sydney's rail system was still working overtime, running 97 per cent of its trains to ensure an extra 460 extra services to move 215,000 pilgrims around the city.
Yesterday that meant hauling 45,000 pilgrims from 11 national and ethnic groups to their special gatherings, and tens of thousands more to 235 Catechesis sessions at more than 230 locations around the city, developing faith in 29 languages.
This morning Sydney will be holding its breath for what the local media have begun calling Super Thursday - when Pope Benedict XVI emerges from his retreat on the city's fringes and moves to St Mary's Cathedral, Australia's largest church, with a basilica bestowed by Pope Pius XI in 1930.
Since arriving on Sunday after more than 19 hours in the air, the 81-year-old Pope Benedict has been resting in preparation for an exhausting schedule that will culminate in Sunday's closing mass.
Today, he will pray at the tomb of the Blessed Mary McKillop - the third Pope to do so, again raising local hopes that the only Australian to be beatified will become a saint - before leading a flotilla of boats across Sydney Harbour.
His arrival at east Darling Harbour and his downtown Popemobile cavalcade is expected to choke the central business district with an estimated 500,000 people.
"We want as many people as possible to come to welcome the Holy Father," WYD co-ordinator Andrew Fisher, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, said yesterday. "We want Sydney to make it clear that Sydney welcomes the Holy Father, not just the pilgrims of the world."
Among the 4000 New Zealand pilgrims in Sydney for WYD there is no doubt of the welcome he will be given.
Charlotte Cameron, of Havelock North, and Jostan Murray of Wellington, saw the Pope at the last WYD in Cologne, Germany.
"It's always excellent," Murray said. "It's like seeing him for the first time every time you see him."
"He's like a rock star," said Cameron.
The New Zealand contingent includes all nine Catholic bishops, but only about 100 priests.
National WYD project manager Dave Mullen said someone had to stay at home to continue baptising, marrying, burying the dead and all the other essential work of the parish.
Yesterday afternoon the Kiwi contingent gathered for its national meeting at the Hordern Pavilion in Moore Park, an exhibition hall built in the 1920s in the academic classical style for Sydney's Royal Easter Show, later moved to make way for the Olympics.
Now it caters for much more diverse purposes: its next tenants will be the Sexpo sex exhibition, followed by the ageing rock band Devo.
For this moment the pavilion is 100 per cent wholesome.
"It's like a huge family," said Deidre Smith, of Wellington.
"And like a big party as well," added Emily Kean, also of Wellington.
"World Youth Day is so big," said Lucy Ellis, 22, of Wellington. "The church in all its colours and flavours is here."
Involved in Catholic communications, she is part of a team that has re-started the networking site www.connect.org.nz on the momentum of WYD.
Hanna Shore, 22, said she did not realise that she was part of something so big until she arrived in Sydney from Otara.
"You can hear about it, but you can't imagine it," she said. "I'm overwhelmed."
Sepa Iosefo, 32, of Manurewa, could not miss the opportunity of seeing a Pope so close to home, but has been inspired by the sense of community - "looking out for each other, living out their faith".
FATHER SEEKS PAPAL HEARING
Catholic Cardinal George Pell may meet the father of two victims of a Melbourne priest as sexual abuse by the clergy continues to cloud World Youth Day and the visit of Pope Benedict XVI.
Anthony Foster is flying from Britain to demand an audience with the Pope in a bid to change the way the church treats victims.
His two daughters, Emma and Katherine, were abused in Melbourne as primary school students by Father Kevin O'Donnell, who died in jail a decade ago.
Foster told the ABC TV programme Lateline the girls had been repeatedly raped.
Emma killed herself at the age of 26 and Katherine is under 24-hour care after severe alcohol abuse and being left physically and mentally disabled by a drunk driver in 1999.
Pell is already the centre of renewed controversy following claims on the eve of WYD that he had tried to cover up allegations of sexual abuse, despite the priest's admission being recorded on police wire taps. A new church investigation has been ordered.
Victims' support groups have also urged the Pope to strengthen a promised WYD apology to victims of abuse, concerned that his intention to follow an earlier apology in the United States would not be adequate.
