A monument to Pope John Paul II has been unveiled on Sunday outside the “Divine Providence” Church in Chisinau, in a ceremony organized by the Polish Embassy and the Roman Catholic Diocese, IPN reports.

Chisinau bishop Anton Cosa highlighted the uniqueness of the monument “not just for Moldova, but also for Europe” and praised the papacy of John Paul II as “a remarkable progress (of the Church) on its path towards God”.

Poland's Ambassador Artur Michalski said he belonged to a generation contemporary to John Paul's pontificate, which “had a great impact on the liberation” movement of Poland. “He was the father that was always close to the people, and from now on he will live on among us in Chisinau, here outside the Divine Providence Cathedral”.

Attending the event, Germany's Ambassador Ulrike Knotz stated that John Paul II was an iconic personality not just for his native Poland, but also for the entire world. She saluted the decision to unveil the monument in Chisinau as a “wonderful idea”, praising the artistic decision of portraying the Pope as if inviting fellow Christians to have a seat beside him on the stone bench.

The author, sculptor Veaceslav Jiglitski, said the idea appeared half a year ago and the statue was done in a record time of two months. “This wasn't an easy task, but everything came from the heart”, said the sculptor.