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Cebu archdiocese seeks return of historical pulpit panels from National Museum
Cebu archdiocese seeks return of historical pulpit panels from National Museum
The Archdiocese of Cebu, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, addressed the issue regarding the four donated 19th-century pulpit panels currently in the possession of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP).
The statement was issued after after the private collectors gave the panels to the museum, which were originally part of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in Boljoon, Cebu.
“We are gladdened that the four long-lost pulpit panels from the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santissima in Boljoon, Cebu have finally resurfaced and are now in the possession of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP),” the statement read.
However, Archbishop Jose Palma emphasized that these panels were removed from the church "without permission.”
“No official record exists neither in the Archdiocesan Archives nor in the Chancery Office of any request from the Parish Priest at the time,” it said.
They cited that it violated the Code of Canon Law no. 1284, which states that “all administrators, referring to the Parish Priests, are bound to exercise vigilance so that the goods entrusted to their care are in a way not lost or suffer damage.”
While acknowledging the National Museum's desire to exhibit the panels to the public, the Archdiocese stressed the importance of these panels as "sacred objects and tools of evangelization."
Because of this, the Archdiocese asserted its rightful ownership and requested the panels' immediate return to Boljoon.
The church also emphasized that they should never have been treated as “mere artworks for exhibition in museums, much less for private appreciation by the collectors who purchased them.”
“They are integral to the church's patrimony as part of her missionary work and thus considered sacred. Their illegal removal constitutes a sacrilege,” they added.
Archbishop Jose Palma then urged the NMP to engage in "constructive dialogue" to address the concerns of all parties involved.
“It is also my ardent hope that a proper venue for constructive dialogue is provided so as to meet the befitting terms of the parties concerned,” he added.