Giant statue nearly complete
SWIEBODZIN, Poland (AP) — A Polish priest is on the verge of realising his dream of erecting the world's largest statue of Jesus Christ in a small town in western Poland.
Attempts were made yesterday to complete the massive statue — which will rise a couple yards higher than the iconic Christ the Redeemer monument in Rio de Janeiro. But heavy winds prevented cranes from lifting the torso, arms and head onto the lower half of the robed white figure.
Workers are planning to try again at dawn today. The mayor of the town of 22,000, Dariusz Bekisz, predicts the imposing white Jesus will soon start drawing in hordes of pilgrims and their money to his town.
The project has divided Poles, many of whom are embarrassed by the Rev. Sylwester Zawadzki's grandiose project.