Europe's tallest Virgin Mary statue unveiled in rural Poland
The 55.6-metre (182ft) concrete figure is head-and-shoulders above Rio de Jaineiro's Christ the Redeemer.
Europe's tallest statue of the Virgin Mary has been officially revealed in a small village in rural Poland.
The concrete figure, standing at 55.6 meters (182ft), surpasses Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer by nearly 18 meters, though it is still shorter than a 98-meter Virgin Mary statue in the Philippines.
Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski consecrated the statue in a ceremony held on Saturday, a date chosen to coincide with the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the consecration, Bishop Wętkowski remarked that "many contemporary people look only to the earth," implying a focus on worldly matters.
The statue's inauguration occurs at a time when the Catholic Church's influence on public life in Poland has diminished. Its remote placement in Konotopie, far from major population centers, is largely due to it being commissioned by a local millionaire couple.
During Saturday's ceremony, two helicopters circled above, showering rose petals over the statue, which depicts the Virgin Mary with open arms and a large crown. Bishop Wętkowski, as reported by the Polish news agency PAP, told attendees that while "many contemporary people look only to the earth, focused on themselves," the statue encourages them "to raise our gaze upwards to God and heaven."
Despite Poland remaining a predominantly Catholic nation, many younger Poles in urban areas are increasingly distancing themselves from the church and its customs.
Among those present on Saturday was Lech Wałęsa, the leader of Poland's anti-communist movement and the country's first democratically elected president. Wałęsa, known for wearing a Virgin Mary pin badge during his campaigns, attributed his Catholic faith as a significant factor in his struggle against communism. The 82-year-old told the Associated Press, "I started with the Virgin Mary and I end with the Virgin Mary."