The Ownership of God: The Question of Religious Artifacts and Where They Belong

Around late 2016 and early 2017, the Peruvian Ministry of Culture with the assistance of the American FBI came to the realization that three stolen paintings from Cusco, Peru were in Miami, Florida. The investigation located all three paintings on the grounds of Corpus Christi Church within the city. Upon the extraction of these paintings, the parish community not only felt jilted but greatly questioned why the paintings could not stay with Corpus Christi, especially considering that a majority of the church's practitioners were Peruvian citizens. This situation highlights the significance of religious art in diaspora communities and the greater question of what defines cultural patrimony among Peruvian citizens living outside of the country. Religious paintings and artifacts are the center point of practitioner devotion and cultural exhibitions, but where do devotional paintings belong and who determines those circumstances? This paper explores these questions both in sentiment and practice.