Peru Unveils 14-Meter Pope Leo Statue Ahead of 12-Day Tour Finale
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Nov 10
Peru Unveils 14-Meter Pope Leo Statue Ahead of 12-Day Tour Finale
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Nov 10
Summary
Callao unveiled a 14-meter white statue of Pope Leo on Monday, billing it as the world’s tallest papal sculpture before his arrival in Peru on Wednesday.
The monument was completed in 45 days after sculptors studied close-up photos of the 71-year-old pontiff, then transported in sections across Lima and assembled by crane on the Pacific coast.
Hundreds attended the seaside inauguration, where a choir sang and residents hailed the statue as a welcome-home gesture for a pope Peru has embraced because of his years there as a missionary and bishop.
Leo’s Peru stop caps a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, with officials and businesses expecting millions at Masses in Lima and Chiclayo and a broader tourism boost.