Poland Erects World's Tallest Statue Of Jesus

Poland now famed for erecting the world's tallest statue of Jesus. Workers in a small town in Poland have finished what they say is the world's biggest statue of Jesus Christ.

At 167 feet tall, the one in Swiebodzin soars even higher than the famous Christ the Redeemer monument in Rio de Janeiro, which is 125 feet tall. The statue is similar to the one in Brazil, depicting Jesus standing tall with his arms outspread.

The Polish one, conversely, has a large golden crown and sits on a mound.

After the construction was postponed by strong winds, a crane lifted the shoulders, arms and head onto the statue. The arms and shoulders weigh 30 tons alone.

The design came from retired local priest, Rev. Sylwester Zawadzki. Residents and nearby business owners said they hope it will make their 22,000-person town a landmark and bring in money to their society.

"I'm thrilled,' Emily Zoladz, 58, told The Associated Press as she watched the statue being constructed.”The statue will make Swiebodzin famed all over Poland."

The project has divided Poles has divided the deeply Catholic population and secular society, with numerous calling the project tacky.

But many, including 60-year-old Danuta Gordzelewska, who gathered to watch the finishing construction, were thrilled with the project.

"I am exceptionally proud," she said as the statue's head was lowered into its final place.