Fada Angelo Chidi Unaegbu has unveiled a Virgin Mary statue with distinct Igbo features, crafted by his late cousin, Fada Elias Chima Unaegbu. The statue is now prominently displayed in front of Unaegbu’s chapel in Umueze, Okigwe.
In a recent statement, Fada Angelo urged Catholic faithful to reconsider their use of European depictions of the Virgin Mary. He argued that these images do not accurately represent the Virgin Mary and that Europeans created these representations to reflect their own likeness. According to Fada Angelo, such depictions contribute to a skewed perception of religious figures, leading Africans to view Jesus and Mary as White.
Fada Angelo called on Africans to move away from these European images and instead create representations that reflect African features, emphasising that the figures in religious imagery should resonate with local identities and cultural contexts.
