Honduran officials to return 600 pieces of stolen sacred art

Aug 3, 2007 / 09:27 am

A Honduran government official in charge of the country’s cultural heritage said this week the government would return 600 pieces of sacred art that have been stolen from various churches in the country during that last thirteen years.

Jani Del Cid said during a press conference, “These are pieces of incalculable historical value that we have recovered after they were stolen from churches in Honduras.”  She said the pieces, including sculptures, paintings, chalices, censers and candle holders, were being cared for by the government and by the Institute of Anthropology and History.

She also reported that only “one oil painting had been sold on the internet for $50,000, which means its religious value is incalculable.”  She said officials would meet “with leaders of the Catholic Church to return these objects to them and they will decide where they shall be displayed or if they shall be returned to the churches they were stolen from since 1994.”

Del Cid did not say whether those responsible for the thefts were in custody, and she explained that official investigations indicate that the objects were stolen in order to be sold to private collections.