A new giant Jesus statue is being constructed in Brazil, which is reported to be taller and wider than Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro. The vertical match of the statue is nearing its completion. It is located in the city of Encantado, half an hour west of Rio de Janeiro in Southern Brazil, according to a New York Post report.

The Association of the Friends of Christ emphasized that the humongous monument will be finished late this year, according to a France24 report. The Association of the Friends of Christ is coordinating the work of the new statue in the country.

Brazil's New Statue and Christ the Redeemer

Measuring 140 feet including the pedestal, the taller monument is named Christ the Protector. The new monument of Brazil will be the tallest statue of Jesus Christ with outstretched arms. Christ the Protector is 15 feet taller than Christ the Redeemer.

The arm span of the Protector is measured to be 188 feet, enjoying a significant reach advantage. Meanwhile, the Redeemer's arm span only measures 92 feet, making the Protector 96 wider than the Redeemer.

Christ the Protector will also have an interior elevator and an observation deck near the top of the structure. The construction of the bigger statue was started in 2019 in the Encantado. Encantado is a city of Rio Grande do Sul with a population of 22,000 and is located northwest of the state capital Porto Alegre.

"It's a day for celebration and devotion," said local politician Gilson Conzatti. Conzatti is the son of a now-deceased former city Mayor, who's behind the idea of Christ the Protector.

The head and the outstretched arms are already added to the statue. Moreover, Genesio and Markus Moura, a team of the sculptor, are supervising the work of the giant monument.

Christ The Redeemer in Brazil

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christ the Redeemer was closed by the authorities for tourists last March. Christ the Redeemer became very symbolic for Rio de Janeiro and the whole country of Brazil.

Redeemer has completed its construction in 1931 and was made of reinforced concrete in a mosaic of thousands of triangular soapstone tiles. Redeemer was also known to be the largest Art Deco-style sculpture in the globe.

In the 1850s, Princess Isabel of Brazil was the inspiration of a Vincentian priest in Pedro Maria Boss in building a Christian monument on Mount Corcovado. However, it was never approved. But in 1921, the Archdiocese of Rio De Janeiro backed the idea, and the citizens petitioned then-President Epitácio Pessoa to allow the construction.

Christ the Redeemer was also visited by then Pope John Paul II in 1980. Escalators and panoramic elevators were added in 2002.

The promoters of Christ the Protector noted that the giant monument is intended to inspire faith and promote tourism in the area where it is located.

The taller counterpart of Christ the Redeemer is priced at $350,000. The Association of the Friends of Christ noted that the construction of Christ the Protector in Brazil is anchored on donations.

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