62 Indigenous artifacts returned to Canada as gift from Pope

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops says 62 Indigenous artifacts held for a century in the Vatican Museums have been returned to Canada as a gift from Pope Leo XIV

The Church says the return process was initiated by the late Pope Francis, who wanted the items transferred to the CCCB in support of its ongoing reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Peoples.

In a statement, CCCB president Bishop Pierre Goudreault called the return “a tangible sign” of the Pope’s desire to help Canada’s bishops walk alongside Indigenous Peoples “in a spirit of reconciliation.”

The cultural and sacred items were originally sent to Rome between 1923 and 1925 for the Vatican Missionary Exhibition and have since been housed in the museums’ ethnological collection.

The CCCB says the artifacts will s