Currents News Staff
A relic of St. Pope John Paul II has been stolen from a church in Spoleto, Italy.
Relics are considered sacred objects for Catholics and this one was a vial containing drops of blood from the late pope. It was placed inside a gold cross, which was on an altar in a side chapel in the cathedral.
The Archbishop of Spoleto called it a “grave act,” and in a video message, appealed to whomever took it to return it.
The theft was discovered on Sept. 23 as they were closing the church, according to the archdiocese. Italian police are investigating, including checking video footage from surveillance cameras inside the cathedral.