Italy: Stolen John Paul II relic returned - bishop forgives thieves

Blessed John Paul II

A relic containing the blood of Blessed John Paul II, which was stolen last Sunday from an Italian church, has been been safely returned and the local bishop has forgiven the thieves who took it.

The small piece of blood-soaked cloth, taken from from Pope John II's cassock after he was shot by an assassin in 1981, had been kept in a reliquary in the Church of San Pietro della Ienca in the region of Abruzzo.

The theft of the relic and a small cross, was discovered on Monday morning. Three men in their 20s, reported to be drug addicts, were arrested in connection with the incident. The cross and reliquary were recovered first. Then the cloth was found, in a garage belonging to one of the men. A police source said the men at first did realise the importance of the relic.

Auxiliary Bishop Giovanni D’Ercole of L’Aquila told a press conference: “I think John Paul has forgiven them. I think we have to do the same.”

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, who was Pope John Paul's personal secretary, had given the relic to the people of L’Aquila after the devastating earthquake of 2011. The late Pope was a keen skier and visited the mountainous region many times during his papacy. He was also a regular visitor to the small church.