Originally published in The Jerusalem Post
In 2023, Father Ibrahim Faltas opened the first swimming pool in Jerusalem’s Old City after four years of herculanean excavation and construction. Now the 60-year-old Franciscan monk who was born in Alexandria, Egypt, has another towering ambition – to erect a 10m high statue called Jesus Risen that will crown the roof of the historic Terra Sancta High School in the Christian Quarter of the Old City.
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The work of Italian sculptor Alessandro Mutto, the polychromatic steel and bronze sculpture weighing 4 400 kg. reflects the sun’s rays so that its appearance continually changes from dawn to nightfall. Mutto, a native of Verona who studied at the city’s Liceo Artistico Statale and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, began working on the project 18 months ago. His design received the imprimatur of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, headquartered at the St Savior complex by the New Gate.
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Faltas declined to offer details about the cost of the project or the source of the funding.
Like Rio de Janeiro’s Art Deco landmark Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) perched atop Mount Corcovado, Mutto’s Jesus Risen sweeps its arms out in an embrace that symbolically evokes a crucifix. The Christian messiah’s body is covered with scores of figures ascending to heaven.
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The statue reflects Psalms 85:10-11. “Grace and truth have met together; justice and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs up from the Earth, and justice looks down from heaven,” said Faltas.
Despite its obvious stature due to its location, the Jerusalem landmark falls much shorter than sky-high rivals such as Indonesia’s Jesus Buntu Burake (74m without its pedestal), Poland’s Christ the King, and Bolivia’s Christ of Peace (both 33m without their base). And, of course, there’s Rio’s Christ the Redeemer (also 33 meters but a fraction shorter than Bolivia’s statue due to a different hairstyle.)
Vision for the sculpture
On May 18 this year, Pope Francis visited Verona’s Piazza San Zeno to bless the artwork. Faltas, the Custodial Vicar of the Holy Land – an office dating back more than 800 years – was in Verona to greet the pontiff. The statue will be shipped to Haifa en route to Jerusalem, but no date has yet been set for its consecration here.
Faltas expressed his vision for the imposing sculpture: “We hope this statue reflects the reality of the Holy Land, its diversity, and the reality we live in despite all difficulties and challenges. It should embody the spirit of love, peace, tolerance, justice, and brotherhood, eradicating the spirit of vengeance, jealousy, envy, and hatred.”
During the pope’s visit, Bishop Domenico Pompili of Verona remarked on the monument’s significance: “The gift of the statue of Jesus embracing humanity is meant to be a sign of hope that starts in Verona and reaches the Holy Land and, more broadly, the world. It serves as a counter-narrative to the inevitability of war, invoking a peace that can be built daily with everyone’s contribution.”
Project coordinator Roberto Brizio explained the elevation of the statue’s height: “We started with five meters, then increased to seven, then eight, nine, and finally 10 meters. It represents humanity encircling Christ as he ascends to heaven. Christ’s face is serene as he returns to the Father.”
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