The Vatican has recovered a valuable manuscript from the pontificate of Pope Gregory XVI that was stolen from the Archive of the Pontifical Ceremonies. The document, dated 1864, contains records of papal liturgical ceremonies and will be returned to the Holy See on 11 November 2025.
According to Marco Grilli, secretary of the Vatican Archives Prefecture, the exact date of the theft is unknown, but it’s believed to have occurred sometime after the document was cataloged in 1864. The manuscript was recovered thanks to the efforts of the Carabineros Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, who notified the Export Office of the Special Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Rome.
The recovered manuscript holds significant historical value, and its return is a testament to the Vatican’s commitment to preserving its rich cultural heritage. The document will be handed over to the Archive of Liturgical Celebrations, another body of the Holy See, in a ceremony at the Vatican Apostolic Archive.