In France, a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was stolen and destroyedtranslated

A bone fragment, which is considered part of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, was stolen from a basilica in the French city of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, writes Nancy Actualité.

The priests reported the theft on November 2. Police later detained the suspect. He admitted to breaking a glass display case and then burning and crushing the stolen relic. He clarified that he acted spontaneously, guided by the “desire to destroy” the relic, since he considers the veneration of relics a form of idolatry.

The destroyed fragment was located under the statue of St. Nicholas in the chapel. At the same time, the main shrine of the basilica, a fragment of the saint’s bone in a case in the shape of a hand, was not damaged.

The attack occurred a few weeks before the feast day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which is celebrated on December 6th.

Nicholas the Wonderworker lived in the 3rd-4th centuries AD and became famous for helping the poor. Later, the gift-giving traditions associated with the veneration of St. Nicholas formed the basis of the image of Santa Claus.

The main part of the relics of St. Nicholas is kept in the Italian city of Bari, from where in 1098 a fragment of the hand was transported to France. Other parts of the remains are in the Church of San Nicolo on the Lido Island in Venice. Small fragments of the relics are also kept...