Relic of Saint Nicolas stolen and destroyed at French basilica

A relic attributed to Saint Nicolas was stolen from a church in Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, France, and the suspect allegedly burned and crushed it. The loss matters to local worshippers because the fragment had been kept at a sanctuary that has drawn pilgrims for nearly 1,000 years, and the theft came shortly before the saint’s annual feast.

The theft was reported on 2 November, and police arrested a suspect who reportedly said he acted spontaneously, seeking to destroy what he regarded as idol worship. The damaged fragment had been placed beneath a statue in the patronal chapel in the early 2000s; the basilica’s main relic remains in its treasury. Saint Nicolas, who lived from about 270 to 343 AD, is honoured on 6 December and inspired the figure of Santa Claus.