The Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro has initiated an international appeal for donation to help them restore Christ the Redeemer, which is the most iconic statue of Brazil. Considered as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World is one of the greatest showcase for Rio and Brazil as Cardinal Orani João Tempesta, the archbishop of Rio said. He added that with this new launch of the campaign, it would help to spread the Christian faith.
The iconic attraction suffers from numerous cracks due to lightning strikes, said Rev. Omar Raposo, dean in charge of the upkeep of the monument. Private donations and the Catholic Church’s own resources were used for the last 85 years to maintain the monument. However, unfortunately, with the economic crisis in Brazil, it has become difficult to contribute to these needs.
The statue was completed in the Tijuca National Park in 1931. It receives more than 3 million visitors a year. However, the sanctuary where the 98-foot-tall image is located, doesn’t receive an income from the park’s ticket office. This means that although it is the most visited monument in the country, not a single cent is generated. The priest said the money raised would help maintain the statue and pay the 30 employees who work in the sanctuary. The annual cost of managing the site is about $1.5 million.
According to Cristina Ventura, the architect responsible for the restoration, emergency work needs to be undertaken soon to avoid the risk of irreversible damage that includes the threat of losing parts of the original structure to decay and corrosion. In 1923 and 1929, the Catholic Church held two campaigns to raise funds to launch the Christ the Redeemer project.
