A pectoral cross once worn by former pope Benedict XVI was reported stolen from St. Oswald’s church in Traunstein, Bavaria, where the late pontiff spent his adolescent years.
Police stated that thieves broke the case displaying the cross, which the former pope had given to the parish, between the hours of 11:45 am and 5:00 pm on Monday.
“The value of this sacred object cannot be quantified for the Catholic Church,” Bavarian police expressed in a statement.
The unidentified perpetrators also broke into a magazine stand’s cash register and stole the money contained within.
Authorities are currently requesting assistance from potential witnesses who may have observed any suspicious activities around the church on the day of the theft.
Benedict XVI, who became the first pontiff to resign as the head of the Catholic Church in six centuries back in 2013, passed away last December at the age of 95 after a prolonged period of declining health.
