Reliquary housing bone fragments of Saint Nicholas stolen from French basilica, destroyed

A reliquary containing bone fragments of Saint Nicholas of Myra, the historical inspiration for Santa Claus, was stolen from a basilica in Lorraine, France, and destroyed last week.

Originally reported on Thursday by French outlet L’Est Républicain, the Saint Nicholas Parish in Lorraine confirmed the matter in a Saturday statement shared to social media.

“It is with profound sadness that the Saint Nicholas Parish in Lorraine has learned of the events reported in the press regarding the theft and destruction of the relic of Saint Nicholas, which was kept on the patronal altar within the basilica,” the parish wrote in its statement.

While the theft reportedly took place on October 28, the discovery of the crime and subsequent filing of a police complaint took place on November 2.

Police were able to identify and arrest the thief, who confessed to breaking the display before reportedly burning and crushing the relic. 

Thief driven to destory relic by 'form of fetishism'

According to L’Est Républicain, the thief told police he had “acted impulsively,” driven by a desire to destroy the relic, in what he claimed to be a "form of fetishism."

After being held in police custody, L’Est Républicain reported that he was brought before a French court, where a psychiatric evaluation concluded that he was legally responsible for the crime.

“Beyond the heritage value of this object, this act represents a deep affront to our history, our faith, and the devotion of generations of pilgrims, a loss that weighs heavily upon us today,” said the parish, adding that it is “deeply pained by this act.”

“The relic of Saint Nicholas serves as a precious link to our patron saint, whose memory we celebrate each year and whose spiritual influence extends far beyond the borders of our region of Lorraine,” it said. “In the face of this trial, we wish to remain united in prayer and entrust all those affected by this event to the care of Saint Nicholas.”

Who was Saint Nicholas of Myra?

Saint Nicholas, also known as "Nikolaos of Myra” and “Nicholas of Bari” was a fourth-century saint and Greek bishop of Myra.

He was born to Christian parents in the city of Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Turkey) during the time of the Roman Empire. A list of attendees confirms that he was present at the First Council of Nicaea, though accounts of others present do not mention him.

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and European students.

According to legend, Saint Nicholas had a habit of secretly giving gifts to those in need, leading to the later rise of the traditional figure of Santa Claus. 

After his death, he was buried in Myra, and the St. Nicholas Church was built there less than two centuries later.

In 1807, merchants from Bari illegally removed the major bones of Nicholas's skeleton and smuggled them back to Italy, where they are now enshrined in the Basilica di San Nicola.

The remaining bone fragments from the Myra sarcophagus were later removed by Venetian sailors and taken to Venice during the First Crusade.