Augustinians support Cebu on return of historic church pulpit panels

FROM OLD PULPIT The National Museum of the Philippines received a series of early 19th-century panels depicting the founder of the Augustinian Order as a gift from private collectors on Feb. 13. The panels came from the pulpit of the Patrocinio de Maria Santisima Parish Church in Boljoon, Cebu. Leaders of the Archdiocese of Cebu and the provincial government, however, are asking the National Museum to return the panels, said to be stolen and lost for four decades, to the church.
—NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES

MANILA, Philippines — The Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu has expressed solidarity with the Archdiocese of Cebu in its request to the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) to return the four pulpit panels in the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santissima in Boljoon, Cebu.

In its statement on Monday, the religious group said that the objects are of “Catholic Cebuano heritage” and “Augustinian legacy.”

READ: National Museum open to share donated historical pulpit panels with Cebu

“The friars of the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines, in oneness with the Archdiocese of Cebu, are immensely thankful that the missing pulpit panels have resurfaced and definitively ascertained their provenance. These valuable objects are considered important artifacts of Catholic Cebuano heritage but bespeak as well of Augustinian legacy,” the statement said.

“In consideration of the foregoing, we express our full support to the Archdiocese of Cebu on its declaration of ownership of the four pulpit panels and the demand for their immediate return to the rightful owner and sanctuary, the Boljoon Parish Church and Shrine,” it added.

On Feb. 13, the NMP received the four panels depicting Saint Augustine from private collectors.

READ: Archdiocese of Cebu calls on National Museum to return pulpit panels

This was followed by separate petitions from Cebu Archbishop Most Rev. Jose Palma and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to return the panels on account that they are treasures of the city, and that they are still sacred in nature.

The NMP also said that it is open to dialogue on the sharing of the panels.