The Pope and the pilgrims have dispersed, and Sydneysiders return to their daily routine now that World Youth Day has finished. The last week's events have left an overwhelmingly positive impression, both in the Australian media, which had at first been sceptical and focused on clerical sexual abuse, and on the young people returning home. If all goes well the seeds that were planted by Pope Benedict's words, by the young people's confessions, by the catechesis, the Masses and their peers, will grow and bear fruit.

Sydney's Cardinal George Pell wrote in his weekly Australian Sunday Telegraph column that it is a good time to be a Catholic. "Tens of thousands of happy young people make the rest of the population happy too".

"We've accommodated 120,000 pilgrims in our schools, parishes, homes and other venues and served 3.5 million meals across around 400 venues," said Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, after the events. "Although only a week in duration, World Youth Day will resonate in Australian hearts for a long time to come and will forever be remembered in the lives of the young pilgrims."

Australia's newspapers have alternately been surprised that so many young people could be in one place without getting rowdy, drinking or doing drugs and triumphantly saying that the events did not draw quite as many people as had originally been expected. Despite the criticism, the 23rd World Youth Day has been hailed as "a new outpouring of faith" and "a Catholic renewal". According to an Australian Daily Telegraph poll, Sydneysiders have been impressed and made happy by the 220,000 odd young people filling their streets. The general goodwill was noticeable too in the reception of the pilgrims. According to some of the young British pilgrims, out-of-service bus drivers were volunteering lifts for the weary youngsters after the final Mass last Sunday, while others were plying them with Veggiemite and offering cups of tea.

In North Sydney the Sisters of St Joseph are expecting a spike in baptisms this year. Since the Pope's visit they have seen a marked increase in the number of people telephoning up asking about baptism for their children. The Shrine for Blessed Mary MacKillop has had visitors flocking to it. Local newspapers around the world are full of stories of returning pilgrims, touched by the encounter with Pope Benedict, revved up by their experiences and ready to "bring the world to Christ".

A six-year-old boy who had travelled to Sydney with his parents and met the Pope, said: "He looked really good and he was wearing red, white and a white hat. He looked happy too."

On a bitter-sweet note, Senior Constable Gary Hill, the terminally ill policeman whose dying wish to meet the Pope had been fulfilled, lost his battle with cancer on July 20, only four days after Holy Father came to bless him.

The Pope, who is now resting in Castel Gandolfo after the longest journey of his papacy, left Australia on Monday after meeting the volunteers who helped make World Youth Day happen. He thanked them for their work and said: "Your efforts have prepared the ground for the Spirit to come down in power, forging bonds of unity and friendship among young people from widely differing backgrounds, and rekindling their love for Jesus Christ and his Church.

"In the crowds that have assembled here in Sydney we have seen a vivid expression of the unity-in-diversity of the universal Church, a vision in microcosm of the united human family that we long to see. In the power of the Spirit, may these young people make that vision a reality in the world of tomorrow."

Pope Benedict thanked pilgrims and Australians for their part in the "great celebration of what it is to be the Church" as he said his final farewells on the tarmac of Sydney's International Airport.

Having said that he enjoyed the visit to Australia and expressed his gratitude, the Pope thanked Australians for having welcomed both him and the pilgrims from around the world during the World Youth Day celebrations. He extended a special thanks to the families in Australia and New Zealand who had hosted the young people during their stay Down Under.

He said: "You have opened your doors and your hearts to the world's youth, and on their behalf I thank you."

During the speech on the tarmac before he boarded the plane, Pope Benedict praised the young people themselves, whom he called the "principal actors on the stage".

Benedict XVI said: "It is they who have made this a global ecclesial event, a great celebration of youth and a great celebration of what it is to be the Church, the people of God throughout the world, united in faith and love and empowered by the Spirit to bear witness to the risen Christ to the ends of the earth. I thank them for coming.

"I thank them for their participation, and I pray that they will have a safe journey home. I know that the young people, their families and their sponsors have in many cases made great sacrifices to enable them to travel to Australia. For this the entire Church is grateful."

The experiences of prayer and the "joyful celebration of the Eucharist" , he said bore "eloquent testimony to the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit, present and active in the hearts of our young people."

Pope Benedict said: "World Youth Day has shown us that the Church can rejoice in the young people of today and be filled with hope for the world of tomorrow."