Monstrance with Host Stolen from Fulda Parish Church
Unknown perpetrators stole a monstrance with a consecrated host from the city parish church. The theft, discovered by the sexton during the church's closing on July 28, involved the breaking of a pane glass to access the sacred item. The case was reported to the police who started investigating it as a serious case of theft.
City priest Stefan Buß expressed profound dismay, citing the disrespect towards religion and the community as particularly disturbing. The stolen item, while not of significant monetary value (400 euros), held immense religious importance.
The city priest explained: "In particular, the ruthlessness and disrespect towards our religion and ultimately towards God shocked us the most. Obviously, the perpetrator or perpetrators felt that the theft of a monstrance that was not particularly valuable in itself was worth enough to desecrate the Holy of Holies and thus hurt the religious feelings of an entire religious community". The spokesman for the parish council added: "In terms of severity, this is something big. If money is stolen from the victim's box, you can still say that there is a lack of respect for other people's money - but religious feelings are clearly being hurt here."
Legally, the theft qualifies as particularly severe under Section 243 of the Criminal Code, due to the religious nature of the stolen item and the fact it was secured by a protective device.
The Fulda criminal police started actively investigating the case, encouraging anyone with relevant information to come forward. The theft has not only raised issues of security but has also deeply impacted the religious community, prompting reflection on respect for religious symbols and places of worship.
Source: fuldaerzeitung.de, catholicnewsworld.com, presseportal.de
Image by Jacob Bentzinger in Unsplash