A Czech citizen has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for the theft of Pope Benedict XVI’s pectoral cross from St. Oswald’s church in Traunstein, Bavaria.
Despite his conviction, the whereabouts of the cross remain unknown. The defendant claimed he handed it to an associate for safekeeping and later planned on selling it. Attempts to recover the item during the trial were fruitless.
The pectoral cross is made of gold-plated silver and set with a gemstone. A significant relic for the Church, it holds immense sentimental value as it was bequeathed by Pope Benedict to his home parish after his retirement in 2013.
Pray for Pope Benedict XVI!
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Photo credit: Finlaykate, WDKrause via Wikimedia Commons
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