JakartaGlobe-Sept 21
North Sumatra, among some provinces in Muslim-majority Indonesia with a significant number of Christians, has finally launched the long-awaited statue of Jesus Christ, which is reportedly the tallest in the world, following years of construction. Located on top of a hill next to the popular Lake Toba in Samosir regency, the 61-meter statue was officiated on Thursday by the head of the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI) Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, Medan Archbishop Kornelius Sipayung, as well as local authorities. Antonius said in his speech that a miniature of the new Christ statue had been blessed by Pope Francis during his visit to Indonesia earlier this month. The miniature was then placed at the base of the monument along with a plaque containing the Pope’s prayer and signature. “[The miniature] symbolizes Pope Francis’ blessing for the new statue and for all of us,” said Antonius. Pastor Moses Elias Situmurang who organized the inauguration event said the construction of the statue started in June 2018 under the initiative of Sudung Situmorang, head of the Let There Be Light In Lake Toba Foundation. “The statue cost Rp 5 billion [US$329,574] to build and was fully funded through donations. The Public Works and Housing Ministry and the Samosir regional administration paid for the construction of infrastructure surrounding the monument, which amounted to a total of Rp 40 billion,” he said. Moses added that all the funds used to build the statue had been audited by a team from the Vatican to ensure that the budget was not linked to any money laundering scheme or corruption. The new Christ statue stands at the peak of Sibeabea Hill, a headland jutting out into the ancient Lake Toba. The all-white statue, which depicts Jesus standing with outspread arms, was created by a pair of two sculptors from Yogyakarta, Himawan and Eko. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2024/09/21/north-sumatra-unveils-worlds-tallest-christ-statue.html.
