In a private meeting where only these photos were distributed, the Vatican signed a document donating the three fragments of statues from the façade of the Parthenon to the Orthodox Archbishop of Athens.
The Vatican is calling the action a 'donation' rather than a 'return.' This gesture could potentially encourage other museums that house works or collections from other countries to do the same.
The Holy See says that the Pope wanted to demonstrate a concrete and sincere gesture of his desire to strengthen ties with the Orthodox Church of Greece. Pope Francis met with the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Hieronymus II in December 2021 during his trip to the country.
PA
TR: KG
