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Reuters

A gold and crystal casing holding drops of the blood of Saint Pope John Paul II was stolen from the cathedral of the central Italian city of Spoleto, its bishop said on Thursday.
The casing, known as a reliquary, was snatched on Wednesday from an altar dedicated to the Polish pope, who died in 2005 after a 27-year reign.
A sacristan who was closing the cathedral for the night discovered the theft of the reliquary, which encased a vial holding a few drops of the pope’s blood.
Relics, which Catholics venerate as they pray to the saint, are usually pieces of a saint’s body or clothing.
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The relic was in the Spoleto cathedral temporarily and was due to be moved next month to a new church in the Umbria region named after the late pope.
“Give the reliquary back to the cathedral and the faithful,” said Archbishop Renato Boccardo, who was a close aide to the late pope for years at the Vatican. “It would be the serious thing to do”.
Boccardo said it was not clear if the reliquary had been stolen for ransom, which has happened in the past with other relics in Italy. Police were reviewing footage of security cameras inside and outside the cathedral.
Pope John Paul II was declared a saint by Pope Francis, and was canonised in 2014.


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Religion

Vial containing blood of Pope John Paul II stolen from Italian cathedral

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Relics are usually pieces of a saint’s body or clothing; Catholics venerate them as they pray to the saint
Pope John Paul II was made a saint in 2014. It is not yet clear if the blood will be ransomed, which has happened in the past with other relics in Italy



The vial was snatched from an altar dedicated to the Polish pope, who died in 2005.


Italy

Catholic Church

Crime