2026-11-12 11:05:47
The bones of the saint who inspired Santa Claus have been stolen from a French church and allegedly burned and crushed just weeks before Christmas.
Priests at the Basilica of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port in Lorraine reported the theft of a sacred relic on November 2, prompting a police investigation.
A suspect was subsequently arrested and allegedly admitted breaking open the display case before burning and crushing the remains.
The parish said on social media: “The police investigation made it possible to identify and arrest the perpetrator. He admitted having broken the display case, then burned and crushed the relic.
“Beyond the heritage value of this object, what touches us today is, above all, a profound attack on our history, our faith and the devotion of generations of pilgrims.
“The parish is deeply grieved by this act. The relic of Saint Nicholas represents a precious link with our patron saint, whose memory we celebrate every year, and whose spiritual radiance far exceeds the boundaries of Lorraine.”
The theft comes shortly before the Feast of St Nicholas on December 6, which commemorates the saint’s death.
Saint Nicholas was a fourth-century Christian bishop from what is now Turkey and became famous for his generosity and charitable acts.
His reputation for giving gifts to children eventually helped inspire the modern legend of Santa Claus.
The fragment destroyed in the incident was reportedly not the church’s principal relic.
A heritage group said the main remains are kept in an arm-shaped reliquary in the basilica’s treasury.
The destroyed fragment had reportedly been placed beneath a statue of Saint Nicholas in the church’s patronal chapel in the early 2000s.
A French Catholic magazine described the loss as wiping out “a piece of the religious history of Lorraine and of France”.
Saint Nicholas is believed to have lived between AD 270 and 343.
According to tradition, he inherited wealth after his parents died and used it to help people in poverty.
One famous story claims he secretly gave three impoverished girls bags of gold, allowing them to avoid being forced into prostitution.
The basilica said the theft represented a serious loss to generations of pilgrims who have honoured Saint Nicholas at the site.
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