Cebu’s Call to Return Stolen Religious Artifacts

via The Freeman, 22 February 2024: Following the resurfacing of lost pulpit panels from the Patrocinio de Maria Santisima church in Boljoon, the Archdiocese of Cebu, along with local government and community support, is initiating checks on other churches for missing valuable items. This move, aimed at recovering religious heirlooms integral to local history and faith, calls for increased vigilance and appeals to antique collectors for the return of unlawfully taken artifacts.

The Archdiocese of Cebu will check other churches in Cebu that, like the Boljoon town church, may have lost valuable items, too, as it asked antique collectors in possession of religious heirlooms to return them, saying they are integral parts of the history, heritage and faith of the locality.

This came after four of the six pulpit panels of the Patrocinio de Maria Santisima church in Boljoon that was lost for a long time resurfaced last week after being donated by private collectors to the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP).

Source: Archdiocese to check other Cebu churches | The Freeman