The theft of relics continues

In Nizhny Novgorod from the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, an ark is stolen with the relics of the Holy Great Martyrs.

According to ITAR-TASS agency in the regional department of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, the theft occurred on November 22. "The relics of the great martyr Barbara, the saints of Innocent and Filaret, Metropolitan Metropolitans, who were mainly in the temple premises were stolen," said the representative of the department.

According to him, the signs of attackers were remembered by one of the parishioners who were in the church, who described them with the arrived police officers. Currently, experts of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate make up a photobot of a criminal put on the wanted list. An investigation is carried out on the fact of theft. The issue of initiating a criminal case is being decided.

The Nizhny Novgorod diocese confirmed the fact of abduction of holy relics.

What happened in Nizhny Novgorod is not an isolated case. The thefts in the temples, unfortunately, became the events of the usual, but the stories with the relics are a special situation. It seems that the relics are stealing either by ignorance, or by some kind of evil intent.

Recall that for more than two weeks ago, an ark with the relics of the Novgorod saints was stolen from the Don Stavropigial Monastery in Moscow. According to the head of the press service of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archpriest Vladimir Vigilyansky, in 2008, only on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate there were 50 stories about thefts in temples. "Everyone steals, do not disdain to kill the priest in order to rob the temple," said the representative of the patriarchy.

At the same time, he emphasized that theft of relics is something out of the ordinary. According to him, the ark, as a rule, represents any material value. A small ark is impossible to sell, this Sofrin product costs nothing. It is impossible to use it in any way with other goals. "And the relics of the Novgorod saints-who can they need?! What is the thief to do with the relics?! Is this madness? Satanism? Are we already faced with consciousness without any moral borders? Or is this monstrous religious illiteracy?" - said Vigilyansky.

Meanwhile, the incident in the Don Monastery ended safely. Recall that the ark with the relics of the Novgorod saints stolen from there was returned .

The shrine was handed over to the monastery a man who came to the temple and explained that "he was asked to pass the relics."