Greece has welcomed the Vatican’s return of Acropolis artifacts, which is a step forward in the effort to get the British Museum to return a collection of sculptures that were removed from the historic site more than 200 years ago.
Friday saw a ceremony for the return of three sculpture fragments that had been held in the Vatican Museums, which was presided over by Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni.
The artifacts, which feature two male heads and a horse, will be added to the collection at the Acropolis Museum, which debuted in 2009 at the base of the historic structure in the heart of Athens, the capital of Greece.
The delegation’s leader, Bishop Brian Farrell, a Vatican secretary for encouraging Christian unity, claimed that Pope Francis had discussed the return of the three fragments during his journey to Athens in 2021.
The Parthenon fragments, which had been kept in the Vatican Museums for more than two centuries, were given as a cultural and social act of kindness and support for the Greek people, according to Farrell.
We ensure you of our deep joy at fulfilling your legitimate request to have the fragments back at their original location, he continued.
The gesture increased pressure on the British Museum to resolve the dispute with Greece in response to a 40-year-old effort started by Athens.
Initiatives like these, according to Mendoni, “show the way, how the Parthenon’s pieces can be united, healing the wounds caused by barbaric hands so many years ago.”
This brings us to the legitimate and moral claim of the Greek people as a whole, as well as that of this administration and its prime minister, for the complete return of all Parthenon sculptures.
Mendoni stated that if the marbles were returned, Greece would be willing to give the British Museum ancient Greek artefacts for display in order to “fill the gap.”
Greece views the sculptures’ presence as the result of theft, so it is unable to acknowledge the British Museum’s possession and ownership, according to the spokesperson.
Archbishop Ieronymos II, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, declared that Pope Francis’ “act is of historical importance and has a positive effect on all levels. We wish it would serve as a model for others.
Greek Culture Ministry representatives downplayed statements made by British Museum Chair George Osborne last month, who claimed that Greece and the UK were negotiating a plan to exhibit the Parthenon Marbles in both London and Athens.
Another marble sculpture fragment from the Parthenon temple that was removed from a museum in Palermo, Sicily, last year was returned to Athens. It showed the foot of the ancient Greek deity Artemis.
While defenders of the British Museum contend that their return could jeopardise museum collections and worldwide cultural diversity, Greece contends that the Parthenon sculptures are the foundation of its ancient heritage.
The Parthenon sculptures, which date from the fifth century BC, were removed by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century before Greece gained freedom from the Ottoman Empire.
