(ZENIT News / Encantado, Brazil, 26.03.2025).- On April 6 the city of Encantado in the Valley of Taquari, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, will inaugurate the statue of Christ the Protector. The monument is 43.5 meters high, 5.5 meters taller than the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro.
Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi will participate in the inauguration, which will also be attended by the Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Cardinal Jaime Spengler, President of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, as well as the Superior General of the Congregation of Missionaries of Saint Charles (Scalabrinians), Father Leonir Chiarello, who will travel from Rome to attend the inauguration.
The monument has been totally financed by the Encantado [Enchanted] community, through collections organized over two years by the Association of Friends of Jesus of Encantado, with no public funds, which shows the community character of the project.
The Christ the Protector Complex spans 14,300 square meters at the top of the Morro das Antenas. The statue of Christ is 43.5 meters tall: 37.5 meters for the statue and 6 meters for the pedestal, with a wingspan of 39 meters. The heart of the statue is a viewing platform accessible by elevator.
The Chapel, dedicated to Saint John Baptist Scalabrini, Patron Saint of Migrants, who visited the city of Encantado in 1904, is entirely made of glass and opens onto the panoramic view of the region. The Fountain of the Twelve Apostles symbolizes the pastoral work of Jesus Christ’s disciples. The Way of Psalms is a space for pilgrims and facilitates reflection.
Cardinal Tomasi , Special Delegate of the Sovereign Order of Malta, will attend the inauguration as Pope Francis’ Special Envoy in the 10:00 am Mass at the foot of the statue, which will be followed by the presentation of the Ópera Gaúcha, which shows the culture of the State of Rio Grande do Sul.
