EDITORIAL - Good news, for a change

Amid the political drama that is gripping the nation, we get some good news. Four of the five pulpit panels stolen from the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santissima in Boljoon Town, Cebu, are a step closer to coming back home.

This after the panels arrived in Cebu last Thursday and were turned over by the National Museum of the Philippines to officials of Cebu Province and the Cebu Archdiocese.

That leaves just one more panel still somewhere out there after the panels were filched from the church in the 1980s. The public had no idea where they were until they were donated to the National Museum of the Philippines by private collectors last year.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said they will not stop looking for the last panel.

“Only then will all matters be put to rest. Ownership should never be questioned. They have always belonged to the Archdiocese of Cebu, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and heartfully! Kitang tanan nahimong tipik ug kabahin aning panid pulpito,” Garcia said in a report in this newspaper.

There is always a sense of satisfaction whenever something stolen is returned. It’s a form of justice in its own way.

But then again, this goes without saying that whoever stole those panels --or arranged for them to be removed from the church surreptitiously-- should be made to account for the crime. Considering how long ago this took place, this may be quite the challenge.

This also goes without saying that the panels must be protected from any more thieves and vandals; we don’t want a repeat of this whole incident. We should learn from this.

And this isn’t just for those particular panels, but also those precious and priceless works of art in our churches. Considering our artistry and rich religious heritage, there are many of these in our churches, shrines, and other places of worship.

While some people like to hog some works of art for themselves, and in the process see it as a form of preservation, some artworks are just too beautiful to be kept away from the appreciation of the public.