Vatican Returns 62 Indigenous Artifacts to Canadian Bishops

Vatican City – The Vatican returned 62 cultural artifacts to representatives of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on Saturday, marking a significant step in the Catholic Church's reconciliation efforts with Indigenous communities in Canada. The items, taken from Indigenous groups more than a century ago, include an Inuvialuit kayak used for whale hunting, wampum belts, masks, and weapons, and were originally sent to Rome for a 1925 exhibition organized under Pope Pius XI.

The handover occurred during an audience between Pope Leo XIV and a delegation from the Canadian bishops, including conference president Bishop Pierre Goudreault. In a joint statement from the Holy See and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the transfer was described as "a concrete sign of dialogue, respect and fraternity" and an "act of ecclesial sharing." The artifacts, part of the Vatican Museums' ethnographic collection known as the Anima Mundi museum, had been housed there since the 1925 Vatican Missionary Exhibition, which highlighted the global reach of Catholic missions during that year's Holy Year.

The return addresses longstanding calls from Indigenous groups and the Canadian...