Gwen’s plea to bearers of stolen church artifacts: Just return them

Cyprus museum showcases rare religious treasures recovered after looting

Many of the exhibits were looted by smugglers after a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup and trafficked on the black market.

Gwen’s plea to bearers of stolen church artifacts: Just return them

CEBU CITY, Philippines – “My plea was just return them.” This was the message of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to individuals who currently possess stolen artifacts that belong to the Church. Garcia made her appeal following the recent repatriation of four stolen pulpit panels at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in Boljoon, southern Cebu. READ: Historic reunion: Boljoon’s long-lost pulpit panels finally return home  Five…

A museum opened this week in Cyprus displays priceless early Christian artworks, many of which were recovered after being stolen from churches in the war-divided north of the island. The Byzantine Museum of the Foundation of Archbishop Makarios 3 opened on March 18 in the capital Nicosia, after five years of extensive renovations. It features mosaics, icons, and frescoes that represent some of the best and rarest works of early Christianity. Man…