Pope returns 62 artifacts to Indigenous peoples from Canada
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican made a significant gesture on Saturday by returning 62 artifacts to Indigenous peoples from Canada. This move is part of the Catholic Church’s acknowledgment and reconciliation of its historical role in suppressing Indigenous culture in the Americas.
During an audience, Pope Leo XIV handed over the artifacts, which included an iconic Inuit kayak, and accompanying documentation to a delegation from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Vatican, in collaboration with the Canadian church, described the return of these items as a gift symbolizing dialogue, respect, and fraternity.
The artifacts were part of the Anima Mundi museum collection within the Vatican Museum, which has been a subject of controversy. The Vatican has been part of the larger discussion on the restitution of cultural artifacts taken from Indigenous communities during colonial periods.
While the Vatican maintains that the items were presented as “gifts” to Pope Pius XI to celebrate the church’s global mission and the Indigenous peoples evangelized by Catholic missionaries, critics argue that these gifts were not freely given due to power imbalances at the time.
The return of these artifacts gained momentum after Pope Francis met with Indigenous leaders in 2022 to apologize for the church’s involvement in Canada’s residential schools. This encounter led to discussions about returning items from the Vatican collection to Indigenous communities, with Francis expressing support for such gestures on a case-by-case basis.
The Vatican emphasized that the return of these artifacts during the Holy Year, exactly a century after they were first exhibited in Rome, symbolizes an act of ecclesial sharing. The artifacts will be initially housed at the Canadian Museum of History in Quebec, where experts and Indigenous groups will collaborate on identifying their origins and determining their future preservation.
This gesture is part of the broader reckoning with the Catholic Church’s colonial past, as seen in the Vatican’s formal repudiation of the “Doctrine of Discovery” in 2023. While the Vatican’s statement acknowledges its complicity in colonial-era abuses, Indigenous groups continue to call for the formal rescinding of the papal bulls that justified the seizure of Native lands.
In conclusion, the Vatican’s return of these artifacts marks a significant step in addressing historical injustices and fostering dialogue and reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
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