"Christ" to Oversee Rio Weddings

Early next year, a chapel built under Rio's "Christ the Redeemer" statue will open.

Are you Catholic? Do you want to have your wedding in Rio? Then you’re in luck. The Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is to open a chapel at the foot of their famous open-armed Christ the Redeemer statue and offer wedding services beginning in January, 2007.

The Art Deco statue was erected 75 years ago by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, and, though already very tall and hard to miss, was made all the more noticeable by its placement at the top of the 700-meter-high Corcovado mountain. The statue is called Cristo Redentor in Portuguese and is 38 meters (125 feet) tall. The oustretched arms are meant to represent the sign of the cross as well as convey the open spirit of the Brazilian people.

The Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, best known for inventing the radio but who bears no known responsibility for inane modern radio disc jockeys, was to turn on the spotlights for the pomp-and-circumstance dedication ceremony all the way from his yacht in Naples. However, Mother Nature affected the signal strength, resulting in a very dark ceremony until a local grease monkey whose name was much less prestigious than Marconi’s saved the day by throwing the switch at the site of the statue.

Just showing up at the Nossa Senhora Aparecida chapel won’t enable you to marry there. First you’ll have to go through the necessary paperwork and have your diocese forward the appropriate documentation to Rio.

And there’s also something for Baby: baptisms are to be performed at the chapel as well.