Monday, April 15, 2013

  Tallest statue of Pope John Paul II: Poland breaks Guinness world record (VIDEO)

CZESTOCHOWA, Poland -- Poland has unveiled a giant statue of Pope John Paul II; weighing five tonnes, the 13.8m (45-ft) white fibreglass statue shows the pope standing with outstretched arms; it stands on a hill above the city of Czestochowa in southern Poland and sets the world record for the Tallest statue of Pope John Paul II, according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/ .

  Photo: The world's tallest statue of the late Pope John Paul II has been unveiled in southern Poland. The white fiberglass figure rises about five stories, or nearly 14 meters (more than 45 feet), on a hill overlooking the city. Photo: AFP/ Janek Skarzynski ( enlarge photo )

 The Guinness world record for the largest aluminium can sculpture is made of 35,679 beer cans and was achieved by NPO Hojin Juminno Chikara, Amanokawa Jikkoiinkai and Takatoricho Ikku Jichikai (all Japan) in Takaichigun, Nara, Japan.

  Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the tallest chocolate sculpture, set by a 10-metre-tall (32 ft 9.7 in) Christmas tree created by Patrick Roger (France) in Sceaux, France. The sculpture weighs 4,000 kg (8,818 lb 7.84 oz) and took a month to create.

  Constructed around a steel framework, the statue has been built by a company that manufactures fibreglass statues such as ones of dinosaurs you see in theme parks, says the BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw.

  The man funding the project, Leszek Lyson, said he wanted to give thanks to John Paul II for the life of his son, whom Mr Lyson saved from drowning during a family holiday in Croatia three years ago.

   The city is home to the country's most important pilgrimage site, the Jasna Gora monastery, and its icon of the Black Madonna.

  John Paul, who led the Roman Catholic church for 27 years before dying in 2005, remains a respected figure in his homeland.