A five-person Vatican delegation joined by an international conference of 200 people inspected World Youth Day 2008 (WYD08) venues over the last week.

Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko led the delegation from the Pontifical Council for the Laity (PCL), the body that oversees World Youth Day preparations and promotes the initiative around the world.

The delegation was impressed with the planning to date.

"On behalf of the PCL, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Church in Australia, to the Church in Sydney and its Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, and especially to the organising committee coordinated by Bishop Anthony Fisher," said Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President of the PCL.

"We also wish to express our appreciation to the Australian civil authorities - both the federal and those of New South Wales - that have, right from the beginning, been very open and supportive of this initiative. We are genuinely very grateful," he said.

For the past week, the PCL was joined by 200 delegates, representing pilgrims from 100 nations.

The delegates received briefings on current WYD08 planning and operations and provided organisers with advice and feedback.

The delegates visited event venues including Randwick Racecourse - the venue for the Vigil and Final Mass, which will be celebrated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on 20 July 2008.

At the racecourse, the delegates sampled the hot meals intended to feed over 250,000 registered pilgrims expected for the 2008 event, to be held from the 15 - 20 July.

WYD08 will be the largest event Australia has hosted. Over the week of events, organisers will need to provide approximately 3.5 million meals.

Cardinal Rylko was accompanied by the PCL Secretary Bishop Josef Clemens; Monsignor Francis Kohn, Head of the PCL Youth Section; Dr Marcello Bedeschi, PCL Youth Section; and Elizabeth Hawkins, PCL Youth Section.

On their second visit to Sydney, the PCL visited Sydney Aquarium, the Australian Museum, NSW Parliament House and aboard a Sydney Harbour Cruise.

"The PCL and the international conference were very pleased with our preparations for this great event," said WYD08 Coordinator, Bishop Anthony Fisher OP.

"We were delighted with the feedback from the PCL and the delegates.

"We look forward to hosting hundreds of thousands more in July next year," he said.

More than 500,000 people are expected to take part in at least one WYD08 event from 15-20 July 2008.

The event - hosted by the Catholic Church, but open to all - will mark the first visit to Australia by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.