Friday, April 12, 2013

The head of the Catholic Church: Top of the world's biggest statue of Pope John Paul II lifted into place in his native Poland

Head of the church: Workers put together the 14 metre tall statue of the late Pope John Paul II in Czestochowa, southern Poland todayThe world's biggest statue of Pope John Paul II was lifted into place in his native Poland.

The white structure, which measures 14 metres tall is being put together in Czestochowa ahead of an official unveiling on April 13.

Pope John Paul II, who led the Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005, has been put on the fast-track to sainthood.

Widely credited for his role in bringing about the downfall of Communism in Poland, he visited 129 countries around the world while in the church's highest office. 

The statue is being built after another one in Rome had to be redesigned because it looked nothing like him.

When it was first unveiled in 2011, passers by said that it looked more like Italian dictator Mussolini than the leader of the church.