Sad story out of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, where thieves stole a safe containing a number of precious religious items:
An overnight burglary at the St. Paul residence of new Archbishop John Nienstedt netted the thief or thieves the gem-and precious-metal-laden rings and crosses worn by bishops throughout the 150-year-plus history of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, a church official said Monday.
“These things are historically and reverentially irreplaceable,” said Dennis McGrath, spokesman for the archdiocese. “They’re beyond value.”
Believed to be missing, as well, are rosaries and a small safe. “It’s like a historical treasure trove, if you will,” McGrath said.
The burglary came on a weekend that was set to be a glorious one for Nienstedt, who was in Rome for a welcoming ceremony featuring Pope Benedict.
The police say that they have no reason to suspect political motivation, but the fact that it’s even mentioned in the article (Archbishop Nienstedt comes in with a more orthodox record than his predecessor) screams “inside job” to me me. That and the fact that that the thieves knew precisely what they were looking for and where to find it:
“These guys were pros,” he said. “The glass they broke through is, like, three or four inches thick. They couldn’t get through without a sledgehammer. They executed a well-thought-out plan. They knew exactly where to go in his bedroom.”
Panos said that police, too, believe that more than one person might be involved. The weight of the safe alone, he said, suggests that teamwork was required.
But the most interesting part of the whole story comes when it takes a turn for the bizarre. Diocesan spokesman Dennis McGrath is vexed, you see, because he can’t imagine anyone wearing one of the ornate pectoral crosses. And he means anyone:
“I don’t think 50 Cent would wear it,” he said, referring to the rap star.
“I would never wear such an ostentatious bauble. The last thing in this cynical, misogynistic, racist world that I want to do is draw undue attention to myself by reinforcing negative stereotypes.” - “Fity” Cent
Huh. Must be some cross.
