FRANCIS SPOUTS WOKE TALE OF VATICAN MUSEUMS’ ‘LOOT’

Pope quotes Bible on stealing and jokes about returning obelisk to Egypt

VATICAN CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - Pope Francis is parroting revisionist history that alleges artifacts in the Vatican Museums may have been stolen from indigenous peoples.

"The Seventh Commandment comes to mind: If you steal something, you have to give it back," Francis told an airborne press conference on his return trip from Hungary on Sunday.

"In the case where you can return things, where it's necessary to make a gesture, better to do it," the pope said when asked about the possibility of returning artifacts from the Vatican's ethnological collections.

"Sometimes you can't if there are no possibilities — political, real or concrete possibilities. But in those cases where you can make restitution, please do it. It's good for everyone, so you don't get used to putting your hands in someone else's pockets," Francis emphasized.

"And if tomorrow the Egyptians come and ask for the obelisk, what will we do?" the pope asked rhetorically, referring to the 4,000-year-old monument at the center of St. Peter's Square.

"The restitution of indigenous things is underway with Canada. At least we agreed to do it," Francis said, noting that a meeting with indigenous groups was "very fruitful."

"There is not a shred of evidence that these works were stolen," a Roman historian told Church Militant. "In fact, indigenous peoples were delighted to showcase their culture to the world at the Pontifical Missionary Exhibition of 1924–6."

"Francis' off-the-cuff remarks will fuel the faux outrage of woke historians and activists who accuse Rome of stealing from indigenous peoples when the creators of these works would be thrilled to have their art displayed for perpetuity in Rome for millions to see," he added.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/pope-woke-on-vatican-museums