In France, a man stole and destroyed a fragment of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

A man has been arrested in France for committing an act of vandalism at the Basilica of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, located in Lorraine. The perpetrator stole and subsequently destroyed a religious relic—a fragment of St. Nicholas’s relics, which had been kept in a special medallion.

According to the Tribune de France, the incident occurred in the basilica’s chapel, where the medallion containing a 1–2 cm fragment of the saint’s bone was located beneath a statue. The church’s rector promptly reported the theft to law enforcement. Using CCTV footage, the police quickly identified the suspect and arrested him at his residence.

During questioning, the suspect confessed to the crime, stating that he acted on impulse. He broke the protective glass, removed the relic, and burned it, explaining his actions as a desire to destroy an object he called a “symbol of fetishism.” The suspect will appear in court shortly.

According to France 3 Grand Est, this is already the third incident of vandalism or theft at this basilica in 2026. This situation reflects a general alarming trend: French media have noted a significant increase in the number of attacks on religious sites, which exceeded 500 cases between 2024 and 2025.

As a reminder, we previously reported that a brazen robbery took place at a basilica in the Czech town of Jabloně v Podještědí, resulting in the theft of a unique 13th-century relic—the remains of Saint Zdislava. The relic possesses immeasurable historical and cultural value, comparable in significance to the remains of Czech kings.