An anti-Catholic nutjob in France stole and destroyed the bones of Santa Claus — and officials refuse to release his identity.
An unidentified man stormed into the Basilica of Saint Nicolas-de-Port in Lorraine on Halloween weekend and smashed through glass to steal the relic containing the bones of jolly old Saint Nick.
The godless creep then burned and crushed its remains, according to a statement from the outraged parish.
“Beyond the patrimonial value of this object, it is above all a profound attack on our history, our faith and the devotion of generations of pilgrims that touches us today,” read the statement from the 15th century Catholic church.
The male suspect was arrested on Nov. 2 and admitted to the heinous crime — stating he had “desire to destroy” the relic which he regarded as a “symbol of fetishism,” according to French Catholic outlet Catholix.
Authorities have yet to identify the suspect, but he is expected to face trial in December, the publication reported.
“Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of Lorraine,” said Luc Binsinger, mayor of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, which celebrates the patron’s feast day on Dec. 6.
“Saint Nicholas is where the heart of Lorraine beats every December 6th. As soon as someone attacks it, it creates a particular emotion and a kind of inner revolt for each and every one of us,” FranceInfo reported.
It’s not the first time the Basilica of Saint Nicolas-de-Port has been targeted.
On Feb. 4, vandals lit two separate small fires inside the basilica which blackened a statue to the Virgin Mary, according to the outlet.
Meanwhile, Nancy, a small city in Lorraine, has seen hundreds of protesters as part of the nationwide demonstrations taking over streets across France every Saturday for more than a month the past five weeks.
Considered a minor relic, the 2-centimeter bone fragment was kept on a patronal altar beneath a statue to the saint in the church’s chapel.
The basilica’s main relics, which include a larger bone fragment belonging to a finger of Father Christmas, remain in the church’s treasury.
Thousands of Catholics will come out to celebrate the annual torchlight procession on Dec. 5 and 6 at the basilica.
St. Nicholas was the 4th century Catholic bishop of Myra, a Lycian city in present day southwest Turkey, who participated in the Council of Nicaea and was renowned for his generosity and secret gift giving.
One of Nicholas’ miracles is that he secretly dropped three bags of gold coins through the window of a poor family’s home to stop their father from selling his daughters into prostitution.
These bags of gold landed in the family’s stockings, which inspired the Christmas tradition, according to Marians of the Immaculate Conception.
