The Federal Police (PF), together with the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan), returned five sacred pieces and several archaeological assets to the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro. They were seized by the PF at the Gávea Antiques Fair, south of Rio, during an operation carried out in December 2002.
The handover ceremony took place on Wednesday (7), at the Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo da Antiga Sé, on Rua Sete de Setembro, corner of Primeiro de Março, in the central region of the city. The pieces were returned after legal procedures and the destination of the goods had been defined. The sculptures were handed over to the Archdiocese’s Historical and Cultural Heritage Commission, as recommended by Iphan.
Rio de Janeiro (RJ), 01/09/2026 – Federal Police – PF returns sacred pieces and archaeological assets to the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Federal Police/Disclosure – Federal Police/disclosure
The return was carried out based on the “dead hand” principle, which establishes the permanence of assets linked to the Church under its custody.
The set of sacred works is made up of five religious oratory sculptures, produced between the 18th and 19th centuries. They represent Saint John the Baptist, Saint Joseph, Virgin Mary, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony, as well as archaeological fragments of ceramics, stone and other historical materials.
According to Iphan’s technical assessment, the pieces are in good condition, despite showing small fragments and wear to the original paint.
The expectation is that the material will have cultural and devotional use, in addition to educational activities and exhibitions promoted by the Archdiocese of Rio.
