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.
A towering statue of the Virgin Mary, believed to be the tallest in Europe, has been officially inaugurated in a rural Polish village. The 55.6-meter (182-foot) concrete figure, larger than Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer monument, was consecrated by a local bishop during a ceremony on Saturday. This date was chosen to align with the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The statue, placed in a field miles away from any major population centers, was commissioned by a wealthy couple from the region. During the inauguration, two helicopters released rose petals over the Virgin Mary, which stands in a large crown with open arms. Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski, who performed the consecration, urged the gathered crowd to look beyond earthly concerns and turn their gaze upwards to God and heaven.
Despite Poland being a predominantly Catholic nation, many younger individuals in urban areas have been distancing themselves from the church and its customs. The ceremony was attended by Lech Wałęsa, the leader of the movement that ended communism in Poland and the country's first democratically elected president. Wałęsa, who often wore a Virgin Mary pin badge during his campaign, attributed his fight against communism to his strong Catholic faith.
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