Reliquary housing bone fragments of Saint Nicholas stolen from French basilica, destroyed
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.
A stolen reliquary holding the bones of Saint Nicholas, the legendary inspiration for Santa Claus, was found destroyed in a French basilica on November 2, according to the parish in Lorraine where it resided.The parish, reporting to social media, expressed profound sorrow over the theft and subsequent burning and crushing of the relic by an individual who claimed the act was motivated by a fetishistic desire to destroy the sacred object.Police apprehended the thief, who confessed to breaking the display but later underwent a psychiatric evaluation confirming his legal responsibility for the crime.A fourth-century saint and bishop of Myra, Saint Nicholas, also known as Nikolaos of Myra and Nicholas of Bari, was born to Christian parents in modern-day Turkey during the Roman Empire.He was a revered figure, present at the First Council of Nicaea, and is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and European students.
After his death, his relics were moved to various locations, with the remaining fragments taken to Venice following the First Crusade.
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