They steal the ring and other sacred objects of Saint Nicholas of Bari in his basilica

Rome, 22 Mar The statue of Saint Nicholas of Bari, patron saint of that Italian city (south), was desecrated tonight, when someone accessed the chapel that guards it and stole the saint's golden ring, his book, a cross and even the offerings of the faithful. The mayor of Bari, Antonio Decaro, called the theft a “sacrilegious and strongly offensive act” for the devotees of this holy bishop of the fourth century, highly venerated in other parts of the world, where he is known as Nicholas de Mira or as Santa Claus. “Stealing the most evocative symbols of the life and mission of the bishop of Mira entails deeply hurting the city. I hope that the author of this petty and unclassifiable gesture will soon repent and return to the Dominican parents what was stolen,” urged the councilor. Last night someone entered the basilica and took the gold and precious stone ring in the saint's hand, his book with three silver spheres and a cross of the same metal with some gems, as well as a reliquary and the box with the offerings of the faithful. The police are investigating the facts. Saint Nicholas was bishop in the city of Mira, in Anatolia, and his remains lay there for centuries, until in 1085 they were transferred to the Italian city of Bari as a result of the Muslim occupation of the Asian Minor peninsula. Today he is also one of the most venerated saints of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has in this city in southern Italy its most important seat abroad. In fact, last December the saint's basilica was visited by Metropolitan Hilarion, responsible for international relations of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. CHIEF gsm/mr/pi