Sister Bernadette, the mother superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, has been arrested for allegedly stealing a series of valuable items from several churches in Italy.
The Indonesian nun stole jewelry, gold necklaces, and even a relic of Saint Nicholas of Bari from various temples in the Diocese of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia, in the province of Avellino.
Sister Bernadette sold the jewelry to local merchants, with the theft amounting to 80,000 euros, approximately 1.68 million Mexican pesos. She is currently under house arrest at the residence of the San Francisco Javier community in Cesario, a province of Rome, according to the ANSA news agency.
Following investigations by the Benevento tax agency, a precautionary order was obtained from the Tivoli court. Monsignor Sergio Melillo signed the house arrest order.
ANSA reports that the 80,000 euros obtained from the sale of the stolen jewelry were transferred to a foreign bank account.
During inspections of the nun’s residence, several valuable items were found hidden in laundry baskets.
In an open letter, Monsignor Melillo wrote: “The transgressions of individuals cannot embody the image and mission of the Church. Due to the professionalism with which the investigations were carried out, I trust that, in terms of the presumption of innocence and justice, those who determine how the crimes were committed will be taken into account.”
Source: Debate
