A gigantic status of Jesus, perhaps the biggest in the world, has risen above a small town in Poland.
The white statue with outstretched arms and golden crown rising above the western Polish plains in Swiebodzin provides competition to Rio de Janiero’s iconic Christ the Redeemer.
The mayor of the western Polish town, Dariusz Bekisz, claims it is now the world’s tallest.
Rev. Sylwester Zawadzki, the 78-year-old priest who created the statue said it rises 108 feet, or 33 meters — one meter for every year that Jesus lived. Other members of the construction team, however, gave differing figures. One said it rises 167 feet if you include a mound it sits on and the crown on the head.
By comparison, the statue in Brazil’s Rio is 125 feet tall.
Fr. Zawadzki says that the statue is the culmination of his life’s work.
“I have never been as happy as I am today,” he said, beaming but clearly exhausted after seeing through the project that experienced setbacks and delays.
Zawadzki, known in town as “the builder priest” after also erecting two churches and other buildings, said he felt that he was called by Jesus to build the statue.
“This is the culmination of my life’s work as a priest,” he told onlookers and reporters who pressed around him.
“I felt inspired to fulfill Jesus’ will, and today I give thanks to him for allowing me to fulfill his will.”
Apropos of Nothing: Is it me, or do you kind of expect some hobbits to pass by on their way to Mount Doom?
November 7, 2010 at 6:02 am
It's not just you.
November 7, 2010 at 6:31 am
THAT is why it's familiar!
November 7, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Hmmm… I am from Rio, and grew up looking at our own Christ the Redeemer everyday. Let's say it's a much more beautiful statue than this one. Nothing against Poland–we have dear Polish friends. But something about design, proportion, artistic value?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_the_Redeemer_(statue)
November 7, 2010 at 1:32 pm
The Ironic Catholic has a caption contest on this picture.
November 7, 2010 at 2:08 pm
There is perhaps a certain vulgarity (of the sort usually attributed to Americans)in noting the gigantic sizes of various statues of Jesus around the world. Is the perfectly awful one in Eureka Springs, Arkansas in the running? But there is joy in that Poland is at present free to erect a statue of Jesus without Communists, Nazis, or a federal court forbidding it.
— Mack
November 7, 2010 at 7:38 pm
I like it!
November 8, 2010 at 12:30 am
it would be so cool to shoot a missile at that thing
November 8, 2010 at 2:50 am
Anonymous #3: You really need to get some original ideas:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SpanishLeftistsShootStatueOfChrist.jpg
November 8, 2010 at 8:02 am
it is good that you rise christ statue on poland but the negative is you do it for a competition and for me the essence of christ image is loosen because of the earthly motivation of having it…
im not against on it just change the motivation on building it 🙂
November 8, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Yikes! he looks a little cross.
November 9, 2010 at 6:36 am
Well, He is the Just Judge…
November 14, 2010 at 12:02 pm
I'm pretty confident jesus didn't wear a crown.