Vatican Returns Parthenon Sculptures to Greece After Centuries
A sculptural fragment from Athens’ Parthenon temple to be returned by the Vatican.
Photographer: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP Photo
Pope Francis ordered the Vatican to return three sculptural fragments from Athens’ Parthenon temple to Greece, putting pressure on the UK to follow suit over the famed Elgin Marbles.
Restoring the artifacts is a sign of the pope’s “sincere desire to follow in the ecumenical path of truth,” the Vatican said in a statement on Friday. The pontiff is giving the sculptures to the Orthodox Christian archbishop of Athens.