Sacred bones of Santa saint stolen, destroyed
· Toronto Sun
Fragments of bone attributed to St. Nicholas, the saint who inspired Santa Claus, were stolen from a French church, then allegedly burned and crushed.
Priests at Saint Nicolas de Port, which holds a relic of the saint, reported the theft of the remains on Nov. 2. Police tracked the suspect down and arrested them, according to the Daily Mail .
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The suspect allegedly admitted he spontaneously destroyed the relic because he viewed devotion to the saint’s mortal remains as a form of idolatry. The desecration comes just weeks before the Feast of St. Nicholas on Dec. 6.
The priests of Lorraine Parish reportedly added, “The police investigation made it possible to identify and arrest the perpetrator. He admitted having broken the display case, then burned and crushed the relic. Beyond the heritage value of this object, what touches us today is, above all, a profound attack on our history, our faith and the devotion of generations of pilgrims.”
Who was St. Nicholas?
St. Nicholas lived between 270 and 343 AD, is the inspiration behind Santa Claus and is the patron saint of children. He was a Christian bishop of Greek descent born in what is now modern-day Turkey, was known for his generosity and took Christ’s words, “Go and sell everything you own and give it to the poor,” to heart. He was the son of wealthy parents who died in an epidemic while he was still young, and he used their entire inheritance to help the poor, needy and sick. In one particular instance, St. Nicholas gave three destitute girls bags of gold to save them from prostitution.
Attacks on Catholic churches
Catholic churches and pilgrimage sites in France have seen a sharp spike in desecrations and arson attacks. During countrywide riots last month, churches in Marseille — which has one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe — were broken into and looted. Three Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Tours were desecrated in July, with poor boxes robbed and tabernacles broken into and damaged, with communion hosts scattered on the ground alongside excrement on the floor. A case of arson was confirmed at a church in Ploubalay, Brittany in late October.
In response, security has recently been heightened around Catholic places of worship, particularly on recent holy days such as All Saints Day and All Souls Day. French bishops have condemned the violence , saying Catholics should remember Pope Leo XIV’s recent visit to the country as inspiration and pray for peace to return.