Stolen relic of the Precious Blood recovered

The case of the theft of the religious relic, "The Precious Blood", stolen in Fécamp in Seine-Maritime is rebounding in the Netherlands.

Dutch art detective, Arthur Brand claims to have found the "Precious Blood", the religious relic stolen in Fécamp

It was 10.30pm on a Friday when Arthur Brand received the parcel he had been nervously waiting for.  His doorbell rang in the night, he opened the door and saw no one but a cardboard box was at his feet,.

It contains the relic of the "Precious Blood" of Christ, one of the most sacred objects ever stolen from the Catholic Church, kept for 1,000 years in the Abbey Church of Fécamp, in Normandy, he says.  His heart raced at the sight of the reliquary, which believers say contains vials of Jesus' blood, Brand told AFP in an interview.

The detective will hand over the reliquary to Dutch law enforcement on Tuesday 12 July 2022, which will then be handed over to French police, before being returned to the Abbey Church in Fécamp.

Nicknamed the "Indiana Jones of the art world", Mr Brand, 52, is one of the world's most famous art experts and detectives.  The Dutchman has found a Picasso, an Oscar Wilde ring and "Hitler's Horses", life-size bronze sculptures.

But getting his hands on the relic of the 'Precious Blood' of Christ was a particularly extraordinary feeling for him.  "As a Catholic, this is about as close to Jesus and the Holy Grail legend as you can get," says Brand.  "It was a religious experience," he adds.

"Huge shock

Opening the box on his doorstep, Arthur Brand was pleased to discover that the relic was intact.

The gold reliquary, about 30 centimetres high, contains two metal vials containing drops of Jesus' blood collected at the Crucifixion, according to believers.

A source of worship for Catholic pilgrims for more than a thousand years, it was stolen from the abbey church in Fécamp on the night of 1 to 2 June, two weeks before the annual celebration of the "Mass of the Precious Blood".

"The thief most likely got locked in at closing time and made off with the artefact," says Arthur Brand at his home, where he keeps the reliquary.  The theft of this "legendary piece" was "a huge shock", says Mr Brand.  An investigation was immediately launched by the police.

The "real" relic

The cardboard box mysteriously handed over to Arthur Brand did not only contain the reliquary.  The art detective also discovered several copper liturgical plaques, representations of saints and an ornate goblet, also stolen from the Abbey Church in June.

AFP was able to see the reliquary but could not verify its authenticity or that of the other objects found.  They have not yet been examined by police or independent experts, and the Abbey could not immediately be reached for comment.

But according to Arthur Brand, there is no doubt about their authenticity.  "I have no doubt in my mind that this is the real 'Precious Blood of Christ'," said the art detective.  "Religious objects are almost impossible to counterfeit," he says.

The Dutchman became interested in art and history at a young age and specialised in the art and antiques trade after studying Spanish and history.  "He discovered that the trade had a dark side" and enriched many criminals, his biography on his website says.

The total value of Brand's partially solved cases is estimated at more than €150 million, it says.

"A curse

His role in the "Precious Blood" case began a few days after the theft, when he received an e-mail from an anonymous sender claiming to have the stolen loot in his possession.

"This person approached me on behalf of someone else, whose house the stolen relics were in," says the art detective.

But "to have the ultimate relic, the blood of Jesus, stolen from your house is a curse," says Brand.

When the thieves realised what they had stolen, that the relics were "unsaleable" because no buyer would want them, they realised they had to get rid of them, he adds.

The art expert showed AFP an e-mail written in Dutch in which the person asked him to take back the stolen objects because it was too risky to return them to the Abbey itself.  The anonymous sender then warned Arthur Brand that the loot would be delivered to his home, without specifying the date.

The detective believes that the thieves wanted to go through him to return the objects because "it would have been too dangerous to involve the police".  "These people know my reputation" and, this art and history enthusiast stresses, the most important thing is that the relic finds its place in the sacristy of the Abbey of Fécamp, for at least another 1,000 years.

Source