Christ the Redeemer

Overview

Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ on the summit of Corcovado mountain, in Tijuca National Park above Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was completed in 1931 and has been an active Catholic sanctuary since 2006. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and draws over two million visitors a year.

Present

Christ the Redeemer is owned by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro. Masses and other services are held in the small chapel at the statue's base, and visits to the statue and chapel peak during Holy Week and other Catholic feast days. The statue is struck by lightning several times a year and is protected by lightning rods and grounding systems.

Religious Significance

Christ the Redeemer holds religious significance as a monument to Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe to be the son of God, and as a focus of Catholic identity in Brazil. In 2006, the chapel beneath the statue was consecrated, establishing it as a Catholic sanctuary. The chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil's patron saint, a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The name, meaning "she who appeared," refers to a statue of her said to have been found by fishermen in the Paraíba River in 1717.

History & Structure

Construction began in 1922, the statue was inaugurated on 12 October 1931 and blessed by the Cardinal-Archbishop of Rio. It is built over a concrete frame and covered in several million small soapstone tiles. The statue is 30 meters high on an 8-meter pedestal, with arms spanning 28 meters, atop the 700-meter Corcovado summit. In 2012 it was included in the Carioca Landscapes, an area of Rio de Janeiro listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Resources

• Official website: Santuário Cristo Redentor