Pope John Paul II statue revamped

The revamped statue of Pope John Paul II was unveiled on Monday.

The first one was widely criticized by the public and the Vatican when it was first unveiled in May 2011 as looking more like Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini than the Polish pope.

Artist Oliviero Rainaldi said he was “pleased” with the final product, saying it “matched” his original vision, blaming workers for a botched assemblage the first time round.

Revamping works involved “small corrections” to the “errors” made during the initial assembly, Rainaldi explained. These include the pope’s face, which now smiles and has a more defined neck and chin rather than the stern expression on the previous statue. His outstretched arm has also been straightened out and the bronze’s greenish hue evened out and the dark brown stains on the head and cloak mostly removed. The statue also now has its own enclosed pedestal instead of the patch of grass and bush that previously surrounded it.