Nine religious relics stolen from Kirkop church as band club criticises priest

Nine religious relics have gone missing from the Ħal Kirkop parish church, with the village's band club criticising the parish priest over the way the relics were safeguarded and the delay in reporting their disappearance to police.

The Saint Leonard Band Club A.D. 1858 said on Monday that the relics, including one of St Leonard, were discovered missing on September 13.

In a statement, the club said parish priest Father Martin Cardona bore responsibility for safeguarding the relics, particularly as no one else had been assigned to look after them.

“The parish priest of Ħal Kirkop failed seriously in this respect,” he said.

It also raised concerns about where the relics had been kept. According to the club, they were stored in a wall-mounted reliquary near the altar of St Leonard which could not be locked and was therefore accessible.

The club said the priest informed it of the disappearance on September 13 and place the remaining relics in a safe. However, it said a police report was not filed until September 17, four days after the relics were found to be missing.

“Common sense required that, upon being informed of the disappearance of the relics, including that of Saint Leonard, a report should have been filed immediately with the police,” the club said.

According to the club, the parish priest informed the ecclesiastical authorities several days before filing the police report.

The club said it had initially refrained from commenting publicly out of respect for the parish feast, which was held on September 20.

It added that its silence in the days following the disappearance should not be interpreted as weakness. 

“Without prejudice to what has been stated above, the Saint Leonard Band Club wishes to make it clear that, in the absence of concrete evidence, it is not pointing the finger at anyone," it said.

The priest declined to comment when contacted by Times of Malta, saying the Curia would respond on the matter instead.

The Curia said a police report was filed and that an investigation was underway. 

>"After it was verified that the relics were indeed missing and had not been placed elsewhere in the church, a report was filed by the Parish Priest, as he is required to do in such circumstances."

The Archdiocese condemned "this sacrilegious and criminal act" and joined the Parish Priest of Ħal Kirkop in the appeal for the relics to be returned to the Church.

Police confirmed a report had been filed on September 17 "regarding nine stolen relics which were found missing" from the church.

Investigations by the district police are ongoing.