ROME-
Police are investigating the possibility that a satanic sect may be involved in the theft of a vial containing a scrap of cloth stained with the blood of the late Pope John Paul II.
The relic was taken from the church of San Pietro Della Lenca in the mountainous Abruzzo region of Italy, where the pope enjoyed skiing holidays before his death in 2005.
According to police, the thieves gained access to the chapel dedicated to the pope by sawing through iron bars on the window.
The cloth in the relic – a sealed ampoule – dates back to the 1981 assassination attempt on John Paul II and was given to the chapel in 2011.
Police said they were following all leads.
On Monday, 50 officers were searched area with sniffer dogs.
-ONLINE
