Pope Francis decided to donate fragments of the Parthenon that were in the Vatican museums «as a testimony and sign of the desire to continue the ecumenical path of truth».
In particular, an official Vatican statement underlines:
«Pope Francis, as an essential proof of his sincere desire to continue the ecumenical march for the witness of truth, has decided to donate to His Beatitude Ieronymos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, three fragments of the Parthenon, which for centuries have been carefully preserved in the collections of the Pontiff and the Vatican Museums, and which have been exhibited to millions of visitors.».
