The skull revered as the relic of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk has been recovered after being stolen from the Basilica of Saint Lawrence and Saint Zdislava in the northern Czech town of Jablonné v Podještědí.
According to Czech police, the 800-year-old skull was discovered encased in concrete after authorities detained a 35-year-old man on Thursday who admitted to the theft.
Police director Petr Rajt stated that the suspect opposed the public display of the relic in the church and allegedly intended to seal it in concrete before eventually disposing of it in a river.
Experts are now working to carefully extract the relic from the concrete casing. If convicted, the suspect could face up to eight years in prison on theft charges.
Saint Zdislava, who lived from 1220 to 1252, is widely honored for her charitable work and care for the poor. She was canonized in 1995 by Pope John Paul II.
Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl of Prague described the incident as “devastating,” emphasizing both the historical and spiritual importance of the relic.
“The skull was the object of veneration for pilgrims who came to Jablonné, where Saint Zdislava lived and worked more than 750 years ago,” he told the Czech news agency ČTK.
Source: sigmalive.com
