French cleric suspended over alleged theft of church items
October 7, 2013 by (Reuters/NAN) Leave a Comment
A French Catholic priest has been suspended after being named a suspect in the theft of about 40 valuable chalices and other sacred vessels.
Other things suspected to be stolen by the priest was some parish collection money in the churches under his care.
Fourteen churches in and around the town of Montoire, west of Orleans in central France, reported the thefts of the vessels, some of them registered as national heritage objects.
"We are investigating so as to list all the objects and find out where they have gone," a police spokesman said on Monday.
The diocese of Blois said Rev Etienne Doat, one of the three priests serving Montoire and the surrounding countryside, was named a suspect in July and put under judicial supervision.
The bishop of Blois last week suspended Doat from his duties in the diocese while the inquiry continues.
According to the local daily Nouvelle Republique, the stolen goods include chalices, patens, monstrances and ciboria, objects usually plated with gold or silver that is used in Catholic liturgies.
Some dated back to the 1600s, it said
Fourteen churches in and around the town of Montoire, west of Orleans in central France, reported the thefts of the vessels, some of them registered as national heritage objects.
"We are investigating so as to list all the objects and find out where they have gone," a police spokesman said on Monday.
The diocese of Blois said Rev Etienne Doat, one of the three priests serving Montoire and the surrounding countryside, was named a suspect in July and put under judicial supervision.
The bishop of Blois last week suspended Doat from his duties in the diocese while the inquiry continues.
According to the local daily Nouvelle Republique, the stolen goods include chalices, patens, monstrances and ciboria, objects usually plated with gold or silver that is used in Catholic liturgies.
Some dated back to the 1600s, it said
No comments:
Post a Comment