Thief captured on camera snatching 800-year-old saint’s skull from church

A man dressed in black was seen running between the pews with the relic

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A broken display case is seen after a thief stole an 800-year-old skull believed to be that of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk (via REUTERS)

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An 800-year-old skull, believed to belong to Saint Zdislava of Lemberk, has been stolen from a church in the northern Czech Republic, police confirmed on Wednesday.

The relic was snatched from a display box within the Saint Lawrence and Saint Zdislava basilica in Jablonne v Podjestedi, about 110 km north of Prague, on Tuesday.

Fuzzy security camera footage shows a man dressed in black fleeing with what authorities identified as the saint's skull, running between the pews.

Saint Zdislava of Lemberk, who lived from 1220 to 1252, was revered for her generosity and dedication to the poor.

She was officially canonised by Pope John Paul II in 1995, cementing her status within the Catholic Church.

Prague Archbishop Stanislav Pribyl told news agency CTK: "This is devastating news. The skull was revered by pilgrims.

"I cannot believe that someone practically in broad daylight steals from church a relic whose value is above all historical and also spiritual for believers."