Thief caught in Poland for stealing cross from Greek Catholic church dome
Photo: damaged UGCC church in Legnica (ugcc.ua)
In the Polish city of Legnica, a man stole a cross from the dome of a local Greek Catholic church. In his defense, the thief claimed he thought the cross was made of silver, Polskie Radio reports.
The theft reportedly took place on September 13, after which the police spent four days searching for the suspect. The 29-year-old Polish man now faces three charges: attempted theft, committing theft, and damaging the cross. The last charge concerns offending the religious sentiments of the Greek Catholic community.
The suspect stated that he acted alone and admitted to planning the sawing of the cross for a long time. He decided to steal it because he believed the cross on the dome was made of silver.
"Previously, the man tried to steal the copper roof from the parish sacristy, but he failed because the alarm went off. Later, while preparing to steal the cross, he stole a ladder worth over 1,600 zlotys from a van," said Liliana Łukasiewicz, spokeswoman for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Legnica, in a press comment.
The number of charges may increase. During a search of the suspect’s home, police seized several items that may be connected to other theft cases in the area. An investigation is ongoing.
Earlier reports noted that the incident involved the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Legnica, where an unknown person sawed off a cross from one of the churches. The damage caused public outcry and an official response from Ukraine.
The Consulate General of Ukraine in Wrocław called on local police to promptly investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable. The incident was also brought to the attention of the Ukrainian ambassador.
