Statue of Pope John Paul II
Llaves de fe (Spanish)
Statue of Pope John Paul II wearing vestments and a mitre, raising one hand in blessing while holding a crucifix staff. In front of him is a sculpted image of Our Lady of Guadalupe with hands clasped in prayer.
The statue in 2008
Map
Location in Mexico City
Artist Francisco Cárdenas Martínez
Year 2007
Subject John Paul II and Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dimensions 3.1 m (10 ft)
Weight approx. 5 t (4.9 long tons; 5.5 short tons)
Location Mexico City, Mexico
Coordinates 19°26′3.5″N 99°8′1.4″W / 19.434306°N 99.133722°W / 19.434306; -99.133722

Llaves de fe (Spanish for 'Keys of Faith') is a monument to Pope John Paul II (Spanish: Monumento al Papa Juan Pablo II) installed outside the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral in the historic center of Mexico City, Mexico.

Sculpted by Francisco Cárdenas Martínez, it shows the Pope in vestments upon which the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe with hands clasped in prayer appears in high relief. The statue was cast with more than seven million keys donated by the population of Mexico, following an initiative by the conglomerate Grupo Salinas two years after John Paul II's death.

Background

John Paul II was a popular pope in Mexico. He officiated a mass in 1979 at the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, the only pope to do so, in which he uttered the phrase "México, siempre fiel" ('Mexico, always faithful').[1][2] He traveled to Mexico five times and two other statues of him have been installed in Mexico City.[3]

In 2005, Grupo Salinas, owned by Ricardo Salinas Pliego, launched the initiative Dale la llave de tu corazón ('Give him the key to your heart'), requesting unused keys from the public for melting down so as to cast a monument to John Paul II.[4] The conglomerate also invited sculptors to submit designs, with the final design selected by the public.[5]

Description and installation

The conglomerate received more than seven million keys,[1] mostly bronze keys, at the headquarters of TV Azteca – owned by Grupo Salinas. Keys deemed unusable for the sculpture's exterior were used for the interior.[5]

Llaves de fe is 3.1 meters (10 ft) tall and weighs approximately 5 metric tons (4.9 long tons; 5.5 short tons). Francisco Cárdenas Martínez sculpted it in the borough of Iztapalapa. He said the most difficult part was sculpting John Paul II's face.[1] He was required to depict the Pope as he appeared in 1979.[5] The sculpture portrays John Paul II wearing vestments with a high-relief image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who has her hands clasped in prayer.[6]

Llaves de fe was installed in 2007 on the cathedral's west side. During the event, alumni of La Academia performed live in a television show broadcast by TV Azteca.[1]

See also

  • List of monuments and memorials to Pope John Paul II

References

  1. ^ a b c d Guillén, Guillermina (11 February 2007). "Más de 7 millones de llaves usaron en escultura de Juan Pablo II" [More than 7 million keys were used in the sculpture of John Paul II]. El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  2. ^ "El lado B de… la Catedral Metropolitana" [Side B of... the Metropolitan Cathedral]. máspormás. 11 August 2015. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  3. ^ Jiménez Cáliz, Eugenia (26 April 2014). "El sello religioso y político de Juan Pablo II en México" [The religious and political legacy of John Paul II in Mexico]. Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  4. ^ Huerta, César (12 February 2007). "Entregan la estatua de Juan Pablo II en el atrio de Catedral" [Statue of John Paul II unveiled in the Cathedral atrium]. El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Mexicanos donan millones de llaves para estatua de Juan Pablo II" [Mexicans donate millions of keys for the sculpture of John Paul II]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). 2005. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  6. ^ "Las obras de arte más feas de la Ciudad de México y Área Metropolitana" [The ugliest works of art in Mexico City and the Metropolitan Area]. Cultura Colectiva (in Spanish). 22 January 2023. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Monument to Pope John Paul II (Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City) at Wikimedia Commons