Residents in a small village in Poland recently learned that its giant statue of Jesus Christ has been used to broadcast Internet signals. The news has upset some though, who believe the statue should be considered sacred and not used for technology infrastructure.
Świebodzin's 108 feet tall structure of "Christ the King" has been standing and overlooking the village since 2010. Controversy marred the construction and erection of the statue from the beginning, and the latest news has done little to help.
Video footage that Polish publication Fakt 24 obtained shows that the giant statue's head has broadcast equipment such as antennas and transmitters camouflaged behind Jesus' golden crown.
Fakt 24 reached out to the Divine Mercy Parish, which oversees the statue's maintenance, to shed light on the installation but a spokesperson denied that the site was rented out to service providers.
An unnamed Internet service provider, however, confirmed that the equipment on the Jesus statue provided Internet to the village and its nearby locations, as per a translated report from Sputnik. The source did not want to disclose particular details but cited that the parish originally requested the service for its video surveillance system. The source also said that the installation and arrangement with the church is completely legal.
Some residents, however, told Fakt 24 that it's a shame to find the transmitters on Jesus' head. Others said they did not notice the equipment until it made the news, while some locals suggested that the parish priest could be making money off the installation.
The Christ the King statue was a project of local retired priest Sylwester Zawadzki before his death. He crowd-sourced the funds to build it and received over $1.45 million in donations from residents and businessmen.
The structure, which has attracted tourists and brought businesses in Świebodzin, has sparked comparisons and rivalry with Rio de Janiero's Christ the Redeemer statue. Building experts have stoked controversy surrounding the statue after expressing concern that the structure wasn't properly built and could collapse within 20 years.
Critics also accused Zawadzki of misusing the funds for the construction.
"It's a monster of a statue which has nothing to do with Christian teaching," local editor Waldemar Roszczuk told The Guardian. "It's making us a laughing stock in the whole country."
