Rio recovers the mantle of Christ.

• Author: Pedreira, Mauricio
• Position: The giant statute of Christ in Rio de Janeiro

THE GIANT STATUE of Christ the Redeemer that dominates the skyline 2330 feet above Rio de Janeiro recently emerged from six months of shrouding in scaffolding during which time its reinforced concrete robe was entirely restored.

Noted for the infinite tenderness of its two huge arms widespread over the city that lies at its feet, the monument has been the symbol of Rio de Janeiro ever since it was inaugurated on October 12, 1931 -- the day that honors Our Lady of Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil.

As twilight fell on that day replete with festivals and ceremonies, the entire city turned out to see the illuminated Christ. At exactly seven o'clock in the evening, the reflectors on top of Corcovado hill were turned on for the first time. They were activated by a radio signal from Italy sent by scientist Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the wireless.

The statue had been blessed that morning at a solemn mass held in the playing field of the Fluminense Soccer Club. The mass was officiated by fifty archbishops and attended by Getulio Vargas, president of the provisional government, and a throng of believers. The statue seemed destined to watch over Rio for all eternity.

But six decades of exposure to the vagaries of weather have taken their toll. The experts ascribe the damage to strong winds, priximity to the sea, and sharp changes in temperature, which is apt to rise from 10 to 37 degrees Celsius in a single day.

Monsignor Francisco Bessa, the parish priest of Saint Judas Thaddeus who says the Sunday mass in the chapel at the base of the monument, was the first to sound the alarm over two years ago. The Monsignor was told by experts that emergency patching with cement was urgently needed--a piece of the mantle almost a meter long had already fallen. Last September, Jornal do Brasil reported that technicians recruited from the Institute of Military Engineering to examine the monument found 26 leaks and fissures up to three meters wide in the statue's concrete vestments.

The Shell Company of Brazil and the Globo Television Network--which is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its founding this year--agreed to underwrite the two-million-dollar expense of the restoration as a gift to the city of Rio de Janeiro.

In April 1989, tubular scaffolding with a total weight of 30 tons was erected around the Christ. The technical staff of Jatocret Engineering, a specialized restoration firm contracted for the job, reported that the cruciform central...