The figure towering over the town of Swiebodzin is 33 meters high – with a three meter golden crown and 16 meter high mound on which the statue stands, the total height is 52 meters, making it higher than the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, which is 38 meters tall.

The entire construction weighs about 440 tons.

Thousands of believers attended the unveiling and consecration of the white plaster and fiberglass figure, which is the brain child of local priest Sylwester Zawadzki.

“It’s fantastic. That’s the word which perhaps describes best what I can see here,” said an admiring woman at the ceremony on Sunday.

But the imposing figure has divided Poles. Critics say it is too big, bordering on megalomania and that the money could have been better spent.

The authorities in Swiebodzin, a town with a population of 22,000,  hope that the majestic figure of Jesus Christ will attract pilgrims and tourists, bringing IN money and enlivening the local market. The figure can be seen by motorists on the Warsaw-Berlin motorway.

Source: PAP

ARTICLE – AFP