News coming out of France sees some thieves trying to pull off a stunt you would only expect to see in movies. These James Bond wannabes were probably way in over their head when they tried pulling off a heist in Normandy.
It all started on June 1, when these crooks stole some ancient artifacts from the Fécamp Abbey where they were housed. Fécamp Abbey is a well-known church located in Normandy France. Not only is it well known, but the structure itself is also historic and one of those beautiful stone or brick churches that you often find in pictures.
The church also housed some really neat artifacts which these bandits swapped with their quick fingers. Of the artifacts taken were an overlaid copper relic, enclosed, covered in religious art, dishes, along with the most valuable of them all – two vials evidently holding the blood of Jesus Christ – said to have been gathered during his crucifixion.
Whether that be the case or not, I, for one, wouldn’t want to tamper or even think about stealing a vial with Christ’s blood contained within it, and neither did these criminals.
After the ancient artifacts were snagged, analyst Arthur Brand told ArtNet that he began receiving email after email saying from a person who claimed that they were the ones who had stolen the relics. The emails of course were fake email addresses to help the person stay anonymous.
“To have the ultimate relic, the blood of Jesus in your home, stolen, that’s a curse,” Brand said.
However, it didn’t take long for them to learn that stealing religious artifacts brings curses or bad luck. At least that’s what is believed. Brand said that the bandits probably hid the artifacts at a friend’s house and upon speaking amongst themselves figured that misfortune would rain down on them. Later, another email was sent to Brand, but this time it was requesting details on how to return the relics.
It makes you wonder if anything bad did indeed happen to them. Perhaps the Holy Spirit weighed heavily on their hearts? Whatever the case may be these bandits were eager to make things right and return all of the relics.
Brand advised the person – still annonymous- to bring the artifacts back and leave them at his doorstep. He gave specific directions and was thorough with his words, but the thieves didn’t ever show, nor did the artifacts.
He didn’t give up though. He hung tight at his house for seven days – another number that is significant in the Bible – until he heard his doorbell ring. He went to go investigate, and upon opening his door he didn’t see anyone around. No one running off in the distance, no one was hiding, just the artifacts there at his doorstep just as he had requested. After retrieving the relics and making sure they were authentic he notified the Dutch authorities.
He had to keep the box of relics for a bit until he could return them to the church, but he wanted to note that during his possession of the holy items, he didn’t experience any “curse” in his house.
This story syndicated with permission from My Patriot Post