In France, a man stole and destroyed some of the relics of Saint Nicholas.
The incident took place in the basilica of the commune of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port. The man stole a medallion with a bone fragment of St. Nicholas about 1-2 centimeters in size, then burned and crushed the relic, Tribune de France reports.
The suspect was detained, and during interrogation he confessed to his crime. The man explained his action with a spontaneous desire to destroy the object, which he considered a symbol of "fetishism".
The stolen reliquary has been kept in the chapel since the early 2000s and was not one of the basilica's main shrines. The local authorities called the event a loss to the historical and religious heritage.