In Poland, the highest statue of Christ in the world has been consecrated

Świebodzin/ Warsaw - The highest statue of Jesus Christ in the world was consecrated today in western Poland's Świebodzin. It measures 36 meters. Believers from all over Poland came to this celebration.
    The white statue with a golden crown on its head stands on a 16-meter-high hill at the edge of Świebodzin, near a supermarket and swimming pool.
    "The monument is a visible proof of faith in Christ," said Bishop Stefan Regmunt today, who consecrated the statue. According to spokesperson Andrzej Sapieha of the Zielona Góra Bishopric, believers in Świebodzin wanted to express that God is important in their lives.
    However, many voices are also raised saying that it is kitsch and megalomania. "Our devotion has stopped at a stage where people are more interested in external expressions than deeds," said TVN24 commentator Adam Szostkiewicz regarding the statue of Christ the King. "I side with those who say that if we want to express our love for God and Christ, it is better to spend money on social purposes, like building hospices or scholarships for poor young people," he added. He does acknowledge, however, that if "someone wants to make pilgrimages to an ugly copy of the statue of Christ from Rio de Janeiro," no one can prevent them, because Poland is a free country.
    Due to its resemblance to the Christ the Redeemer statue from Brazil, Świebodzin has received the nickname - it is now called Świebodzineiro.
    The idea to build the giant statue of Jesus Christ in Poland came from former Świebodzin parish priest Sylwester Zawadzki. He originally thought it would be just a regular statue, but later the project grew in size. The construction was funded by believers and sponsors. It is officially not known how much the statue of Christ the King cost, as Zawadzki reportedly did not keep accounts. However, estimates range in the several millions of zlotys (in the tens of millions of crowns).
    The statue is not yet fully completed; it has only been painted on one side so far. The giant structure, which experts believe would not be damaged even by a hurricane, has not yet been officially completed. Therefore, today’s religious ceremony took place at the bottom of the hill where the figure stands, and the bishop who consecrated it arrived by golf cart along a muddy path.
    The people and city officials in Świebodzin hope that their city will become a significant pilgrimage site, attracting crowds of believers like the legendary Czestochowa, from which they can profit.
    "This is a complete revolution for us. When almost all of Egypt, thousands of small traders and hotel owners live off the pyramids, why can't it be similar here?" asks Dariusz Bekisz, the mayor of this city with 21,000 inhabitants. A Stations of the Cross is to lead to the statue of Jesus Christ, and an artificial waterfall is also to be built.
    The statue of Christ the King in Świebodzin has been standing since the beginning of this month. Its installation faced problems; initially, the crane had to be replaced because the original one was incapable of lifting Jesus's arms and shoulders weighing 30 tons, then the builders had to contend with strong winds.
    The second highest statue of Christ in the world is located in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and the third overlooks Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
    The Catholic Church maintains a very strong position in Poland. Approximately nine out of ten Poles identify with it.