Stunning sunset attracts global attention as a heavenly figure makes an unexpected appearance
Talk about a heavenly view. Shining among the clouds hovering over a seaside town in Italy, a man captured what appeared to be Jesus Christ illuminated in the sky, arms spread out wide during sunset.
The now-viral image, taken on March 1, shows golden sun rays beaming down over the Tyrrhenian Sea near the western coast of Italy, seeming to take the shape of the religious figure through a break in the clouds.
"As soon as I saw that luminous image, I felt a great need to take it and share it," Alfredo Lo Brutto told Barbara Di Palma, a reporter for "La Vita In Diretta," a news and entertainment show on Italian TV. "I immediately recognized her as the image of Christ the Redeemer, with open arms, as if he wanted to bless the whole city of Agropoli."
Lo Brutto captured the photo at the Piazza Sanseverino in his hometown of Agropoli, a small town near Italy's scenic Amalfi Coast about an hour and a half drive south of Pompeii.
Lo Brutto, who is an artist and chef according to the Sun, said he doesn’t typically post on social media, but the astonishing sight he spotted over the sea just had to be shared.
“When I took this one, I instantly felt like I wanted other people to see it because it was so beautiful,” he said.
Sharing the unique image on his Facebook page, he called the photo, "Il Cristo di luce nel mare di Agropoli," which translates to "The Christ of Light in the Sea of Agropoli."
A blood moon rises above the Christ the Redeemer statue during a lunar eclipse in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. Alfredo Lo Brutto's image appearing to show Jesus Christ has been said to resemble the famous statue. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
The image of sunlight bearing Jesus Christ’s resemblance has been making the rounds across social media, attracting news coverage from all over the world from those in awe of the sight, which made its appearance in the days before the beginning of Lent, the 40-day Catholic holy period leading up to Easter.
The figure in Lo Brutto’s photo appears to look like the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, reported Fox News.
"I was enchanted," he said according to Fox News.
Alfredo Lo Brutto's photos made waves in Italy and around the world. Here he is pictured alongside reporter Barbara Di Palma who interviewed him on the Italian TV show "La Vita In Diretta." (Twitter / Barbara Di Palma)
"After this intense experience and the strong feelings I felt ... I can say I have an even greater religious faith," he added in the interview with "La Vita In Diretta."
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