John Paul II's Unconventional Statue In Rome Gets Makeover

By Alessandro Speciale
Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Just eight months after being unveiled, a controversial statue of Pope John Paul II in Rome is receiving a major makeover.

The 16-foot statue stands just outside the city's main railway station but, since last May, it has been met by harsh criticism by locals and art experts alike.

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, criticized it for bearing "little resemblance" to the image of the late pope and described the head as "excessively spherical." Federico Mollicone, president of Rome's city council culture commission, called the statue "a permanent and sacrilegious mud stain" on the memory of John Paul II.

More than eight out of 10 people who responded to a poll by the newspaper Il Messaggero said they didn't like the statue, and Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno was forced by the criticism to form an "experts' commission" to evaluate its fate.

Now, scaffolding has surrounded the statue, and in the coming weeks it will get a new head, the pope's cape will be modified and the sculpture will be placed on a higher pedestal. Its outer layer of paint will be restored after rain and smog turned the bronze green, and new lighting will be set up around it.

Last May, sculptor Oliviero Rainaldi responded to criticism saying the foundry didn't adequately execute his design.

The statue is hollow inside, leading many to compare it to "a sentry box." Rainaldi said the design was meant to showcase the late pope's desire to welcome humanity.

Comments

[Boston 019]

11:53 PM on 01/18/2012

I don't think abstract/modern art works for sculptures of people. These pieces of artwork (i.e., scluptures of people) hit their peak with Michaelangelo's David.

[ThinkCreeps]

03:11 PM on 01/19/2012

It catches the old lag perfectly.

[orixaguy]

11:58 PM on 01/16/2012

Send it to Mahoney's "modern" tragedy of a cathedral. It will fit right in with the billion dollar minimalist midieval torture theme. And just in time for Benedict to declare everything goes back to Vatican I and condemn everything that is progressive.

[Boston 019]

11:51 PM on 01/18/2012

You know what? I say reinstate Vatican I. The Mass was unchanged for centuries, and now they change it every 30 years. I want the Mass of my ancestors back. Mass, to me, isn't just communion with the Lord, it's communion with my forebears.

[ThinkCreeps]

03:12 PM on 01/19/2012

The taj mahoney? Ugly indeed. It matches its creator.

[Brecia Veonne Bloom]

09:40 PM on 01/16/2012

Wow, I really don't care about this. In fact, my first thoughts go to the taxpayers. It's not THEIR money that's going into this nothingburger... is it?

[Balancement]

01:51 PM on 01/16/2012

How many altar boys can you fit under that cape?

[RedIvan88]

03:41 PM on 01/16/2012

How many contracts with Comedy Central did you sign?

Oh wait

[ThinkCreeps]

03:13 PM on 01/19/2012

Not enough to catch the true charm of the ol' fraud.

[RedIvan88]

11:43 PM on 01/15/2012

John Paul II prayed at the Wailing Wall, kissed a Koran, and was a close friend of the Dalai Lama. Gestures such as these did more for friendship between religions than anything in 1000 years. He traveled to over a hundred countries where he was met each time with roaring crowds. I've heard him called the Polish Nelson Mandela for his role in setting the Poles free from communism. His funeral was the largest Christian pilgrimage in history, attended by four kings, five queens, 70 presidents, and over four million mourning Christians.

And all some of you can do is criticize him on not doing enough to stop pedophiles.

Give me a break.

Tomorrow I'll just go on every article commemorating Martin Luther King Jr and criticize him for being a womanizer, a cheating spouse, a distant father, and a plagiarizer. Because no matter how much truth each accusation has, I'll ignore the massive good he did and instead dwell on the petty bad.

[ThinkCreeps]

05:06 AM on 01/16/2012

With ol' Martin you got a powerful force for good, who like everyone had his issues.

With ol' Karol you got a powerful force trying to drag you back to the dark ages. There was no good, just moneygrubbing cant.

The large number of people at his funeral reflects the growth in wealth and air travel since the last one croaked in the seventies. Also, there must have been some interest in verifying that he was actually dead.

[RedIvan88]

11:33 AM on 01/16/2012

.........You're kidding right? So Pope John Paul II never did a single good thing in his entire papacy?

So would a Dark Ages pope kiss a Koran? Would he apologize for the crimes and injustices the Church has committed in the past? Would he canonize people from all races and social backgrounds, or make dozens of men from every continent as cardinals?

Your hatred is so blind that you cannot even recognize the good deeds of a man just because you don't agree with his religion. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[Olethea]

08:05 AM on 01/16/2012

I'm not sure how you can compare the personal private failings of Dr. King with the systemic and deliberate enabling of child predators across continents and over decades, endangering and irreparably damaging a generation of young trusting catholics.

But then, religious zealots aren't known for their rational thoughts.

[RedIvan88]

11:29 AM on 01/16/2012

I can, because John Paul's response to the pedophilia scandal is a result of his own personal failings.

Whenever a case of sexual abuse would arise from one of his friends, such as Marcial Maciel of the Legion of Christ, he would often overlook things because he was good friends with the accused. He didn't want to betray one of his friends. Obviously not the right thing to do, but John Paul was renowed for cronyism and this reason can be used to explain his not doing enough in many cases.

You also have to remember the Vatican barely knew what was going on in many hundreds of these cases. The Catholic Church is most often a bottoms up organization. Its not like the pope has spies in each parish giving him a weekly report on whats going on. The only thing that really goes down from Rome is doctrine.

Also, I don't appreciate being called a religious zealot. Just because I'm looking at the facts a little more closely instead of immediately accusing the Church to be a worldwide pedophilia operation doesn't make me one.

[chaapai]

10:37 PM on 01/15/2012

Good Evening Ladies & Gentlemen,

We have made some major changes and here at the "new" catholic church we'd like to tell you that we are friendly and welcoming to all denominations: $10's, $20's, $50's.... For your convenience ATM's and money changers will be available at the door.

So welcome back to the fold and we'll see you on Sunday!

[chaapai]

10:33 PM on 01/15/2012

Will they show his asleep at the helm while his minions "diddle" little boys?

[JohnnyKay]

10:08 AM on 01/16/2012

He was at the forefront of the Cover Up, installing the current pope as Head of the Inquisition in May, 1981, with a mandate for the Cover Up to balloon to indecent proportions, like the rest of the hierarchy of this false church.

Germans roared for.... you know who.

It still doesn't change the atrocities and no mitigating circumstances will suffice where the last pope is concerned, because his only concern was keeping Rome intact.

[RedIvan88]

03:41 PM on 01/16/2012

Jesus was a Freemason Buddhist

[ThinkCreeps]

05:21 PM on 01/15/2012

They should use a bigger version of his puppet from the 1980's UK satire `Spitting Image'.

[LMPE]

04:55 PM on 01/15/2012

If you want a cool statue of JP, show him dancing the cha cha.

[origamib]

02:21 PM on 01/15/2012

I'm seeing a lot of people here saying "I'm not an artist, but..." Guess what? You don't have to be an artist to appreciate (or not) or critique a piece of artwork.
While I appreciate that the artist seemed to be trying to make a statement about what he (and his patrons) see as the positive works of the late pope, without making the statue so blatantly a grandeous portrait that would not be in keeping with the image of what many believe to have been a humble man, I think the artist missed the mark by a mile.
There is a place for abstract expression. IMO--statuary that is meant to represent the figure and visage of a public person is not the place for this style. Not a very good likeness in the face at all.

I actually am an artist (not that it matters), and my first impression was--hey look!--Captain America!--but with a cape and without those dinky little winglike projections coming out of his head. I mean, he gave the figure a chest like a bull and a bullet head.

Of course, the Vatican can afford to have the thing redone. I'm sure they still have a few billion lira lying around, even after they very quietly pay reparations to the children that their employees have r aped over the past 100 years or so.

[Asmondius]

04:46 PM on 01/15/2012

'The Fondazione Silvana Paolini Angelucci, a charitable organization, donated the sculpture to the city...'
- NYT, 05/11

Heh - I think someone poached your post. After all that writing you did concerning 'art', someone inserted a juvenile cheap shot against the Church at the end.

I'd sure like to see some victims from 100 years ago - can you name some?

[phyrro]

09:36 PM on 01/15/2012

Your'e joking. You think that the ugly head of priestly abuse just sprung up in the last say 40 years. Just think of the decrepit Popes that have existed since the inception of this monstrous deparvity. Think of the inquisitions where women were forced to disrobe to the "pleasure" of the priests. If anything priestly abuse was musch worse in the past then it is now because in the past it was very difficult for any abused child or woman to accuse the priesthood of it's abusive behavior.

[Sunwyn Ravenwood]

01:29 AM on 01/16/2012

I think they all died by now.

[algonquin j calhoun]

01:25 PM on 01/15/2012

I thought it was Mussolini

[ThinkCreeps]

04:41 PM on 01/15/2012

So did he.

[sdave]

01:01 PM on 01/15/2012

I don't have a problem with it, although I wonder why we have statues of Popes anyway. For that matter, I never understood why the Catholic Church has statues of Mary and Jesus and other religious folks. There is just something odd about it....

[eviltennishoes5]

02:15 PM on 01/15/2012

You obviously know nothing of Catholicism so please keep your ignorant comments to yourself.

[nnealj1]

03:07 PM on 01/15/2012

Sounds like someone else displayed his ignorance....

[Disillusioned One]

03:26 PM on 01/15/2012

sdave was being polite. You, on the other hand, are a rude catholic!

[ARMY1775]

03:21 PM on 01/15/2012

They have statues so they can break the commandment about not making idols.

[Asmondius]

04:50 PM on 01/15/2012

Statues are not idols unless you worship them.

[Flickwatcher]

05:03 PM on 01/15/2012

In those ancient times, immoral men made idols to worship. Catholics make statues, not to worship, but to give us the inspiration to behave like the person it represents. It is ironic that today's society uses the word "idol" to promote a new brand of idol worship.

[dmoongo]

12:50 PM on 01/15/2012

Shouldn't the headline have been, "John Paul II gets a little head".

[ARMY1775]

03:21 PM on 01/15/2012

dude you could have held that one back.

[Disillusioned One]

03:28 PM on 01/15/2012

He probably wished.....when he was alive.

[ThinkCreeps]

04:42 PM on 01/15/2012

I find it hard to believe that he didn't more than wish.

[Asmondius]

04:58 PM on 01/15/2012

Are you channeling him?

[WCWinner]

12:32 PM on 01/15/2012

Gee, that pope wanted to "welcome humanity" but still preaches the eternal fires of hell as punishment for people who aren't heterosexual.........go figure!

[Flickwatcher]

04:44 PM on 01/15/2012

Gee, the Pope is instructing us from the formulated doctrine of the words passed down from the writings of St. Paul regarding the teachings of Jesus Christ. For those who suggest Jesus said nothing about homosexuality, neither did He say anything about incest. These sins were an "abomination" not practiced by the Jews, only the secular Romans.

[WCWinner]

07:09 AM on 01/16/2012

Not everyone cares what your imaginary friend in the sky did or did not teach.

[JohnnyKay]

10:19 AM on 01/16/2012

Paul never wrote about anything Jesus said or did.

Perhaps because he never met him in an epileptic fit or otherwise.

[Asmondius]

05:01 PM on 01/15/2012

First of all, the Pope depicted by the statue is dead so isn't 'still preaching'.

Secondly, neither that Pope or the current Pope have preached damnation for homosexuals.

Now put on your bib and finish eating yoiur spinach.

[Flickwatcher]

06:05 PM on 01/15/2012

There! You gave yourself away! .....I was referring to Pope Benedict XVI when I posted the above comment......But as one of faith, I believe that Pope John Paul II is alive in spirit, free from the mortal prison we call a body......Hmm, where in the post did I mention damnation? No one can give that kind of judgement on a human being, only God can.....I prefer broccoli, but I suggest you have some carrots for your eyes.

[jchowell3657]

11:29 AM on 01/15/2012

Pope John Paul II did a great deal of good for the world and he deserves a proper statue. I hope they get it right.

[duke9109]

12:16 PM on 01/15/2012

you mean like protecting child molesters and rapist by transfer and cover-up. yea, he did a world of good alright. how convenient to forget. to bad the victims will never forget.

[Flickwatcher]

03:03 PM on 01/15/2012

I'm sure you have skeletons in your closet you would want someone to forgive and show you mercy. There is no evidence that Pope John Paul II knew of any indiscretions of a small number of priests. A tenet of the Catholic faith is forgiveness, but that does not excuse the bishops who should have reported the crimes.

[Asmondius]

05:03 PM on 01/15/2012

The former Pope was never accused of the actions you state.

Pure speculation on your part, with no basis in reality.

See any UFO's lately?

[WCWinner]

12:33 PM on 01/15/2012

I REALLY appreciate being condemned to hell for eternity for loving someone of the same sex.

[Flickwatcher]

03:17 PM on 01/15/2012

One condemns oneself for crimes against God and humanity. That which is natural is a creation of God, that which is unnatural is an immoral obsession of men.

[Asmondius]

05:04 PM on 01/15/2012

Sons love their fathers and brothers, daughters love their mothers and sisters.

They are not condemned to hell.

What is your fear?