An unknown thief stole an 800-year-old skull, believed to have belonged to Saint Zdislava of Lemberk, from a display case in a church in northern Czechia and fled with the relic. Reuters reports this with reference to the Czech police, according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that a blurry surveillance camera photo shows the silhouette of a person in black clothing who, according to police, is holding the skull of Zdislava of Lemberk and running between pews in the Basilica of Saints Lawrence and Zdislava in the town of Jablonné v Podještědí, 110 km north of Prague. The incident occurred on Tuesday.
Saint Zdislava of Lemberk lived from 1220–1252 and was known for her generosity and aid to the poor. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1995.
"This is devastating news," Prague Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl told the CTK agency.
"The skull was revered by pilgrims... I cannot believe that someone actually stole a relic from the church in broad daylight, the value of which is primarily historical, as well as spiritual for the faithful."
Police initially identified the suspect as a man, but a spokesperson later stated that law enforcement officers are not certain of this and continue to analyze surveillance footage.