Rome, Italy, Aug 30, 2012 / 11:01 am
Police quickly recovered a vile of Blessed John Paul II's blood, which was stolen on Aug. 28 in the city of Marina di Cerveteri while being taken by train to a shrine in northern Italy.
The priest assigned with transferring the relic told officials he was distracted on the train by three men who asked him for directions and then disembarked several stops ahead him.
Upon leaving the train, he realized his backpack had been stolen. Within a few hours, police found the backpack and relic at another station on the line. It is unclear whether the three men left the relic because they were unaware of its significance or if they were going to come back later to retrieve it.
The vile containing the small amount of blood was drawn from the late Pope after the attempt on his life on May 13, 1981. It was displayed for veneration for the first time on May 1, 2011, during his beatification.