Worlds Largest Statue of Jesus in Poland

Worlds Largest Statue of Jesus in Poland

A  Polish priest is on the verge of realising his dream of putting up   what  he says will be the world's largest statue of Jesus Christ in a   small  town in western Poland.

The giant Jesus at 167ft - a couple of yards higher than the iconic   Christ the Redeemer monument in Rio de Janeiro at 125ft - took two days   to build as windy weather conditions prevented it being completed in one   day.

The torso of Jesus Christ remained topless over night as heavy winds    prevented cranes from lifting the torso, arms and head onto the lower    half of the robed white figure.
 

The project cost almost £900,000 with money donated from across the   spectrum to fund the big idea. From business people to poor people   wanting to make a contribution to the church, work on the statue finally   began in 2008.
 

Many Poles are embarrassed by the project which is the brainchild of priest, Rev. Sylwester Zawadzki.Maciej Czerniewski, a 45-year-old who runs a small store in the shopping   center opposite said he is deeply embarrassed by it and accused the   priest of 'megalomania'.

He said: 'In general I don't care  about this project but I would prefer   to be living in a normal country.  We have bad roads, bad   infrastructure but the most monuments in the  world and now the biggest   Jesus in the world.'

 But  other town residents are thrilled by the new business they hope it   will  bring once believers in this deeply Roman Catholic country add it   to  their pilgrimage routes.
   

A 68-year-old retired biology teacher, Krystyna Skurzynska,  who belongs   to the priest's parish, said: 'My friends in Warsaw are making fun of   this, but we are happy about it.'

 They also hope  that many Germans - who tend to be much more secular   than Poles - will  visit simply out of curiosity since the border with   Germany is only 45  miles away.

Krystyna said she hopes it will  stimulate the economy and return some   old glory to Swiebodzin, a town of  22,000 that was, as she put it, 'a   major town in the 13th century.'The mayor, Dariusz Bekisz, also is a fan.

 'The  biggest statue of Jesus Christ in the world will be in   Swiebodzin,' he  said. 'People will come and leave some of their money   behind.'

 He  has little time for those mocking the project as excessively   g*****ose:  'When castles and the pyramids were built, there were always   people who  were laughing. But look at how many millions of people go   to see such  places and spend their money there now', he said.

 The  priest, Zawadzki, came up with his idea several years ago, though   he  imagined something much smaller in scale at first. With time,   ambition  grew for the man known around the town as 'the builder priest'   thanks to  churches and other projects he has carried out.

 The  figure complete with a golden crown faces a shopping center and    supermarket just across the street, and beyond that, the town.

Reports say that along the way, a bishop tried to halt the project and   officials threatened to withdraw permission for it because of its   enormous size. The elderly Zawadzki then had a heart attack.
 

He  recovered and plans got back on track but in recent weeks there was a    new setback: cranes were unable to mount the torso and head because of    their massive weight.

 So  they sent for a larger, more powerful crane, and had hoped to get   the  job done Friday. But powerful winds blew from the direction of   Berlin,  and it was too risky to attempt.Construction workers finally finished the almighty task on Saturday afternoon.