The dome statue was originally commissioned in 1889, but there was public outcry over the $7,000 price tag and controversy over choosing Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture and fertility.

"For 29,500 years she has shown herself as a prehistoric fertility symbol without any ... She added that the "little statue has the power to disquiet Facebook control team. [sic] "The same little ...

The Vatican earlier condemned the theft, with senior officials saying the statues simply represented life, fertility and mother earth. The Pope has faced strong criticism from ultra-conservatives ...