Church thieves

Nicking lead off church roofs has a slight Ealing-comedy note to it, a Sid James villainy.  But it is no joke, especially not now with global prices soaring.  It costs tens of thousands in replacement and can ruin churches.  However, in Pattingham in the West Midlands a doughty vicar and his churchwarden foiled a theft by hiding in the church overnight.   An even nastier metal theft in South Wales: thieves stole 600 brass memorial  plaques from St Thomas, in Swansea - put up by families with the dates and names of dead relatives who were cremated. To twist the knife, the insurers refuse to pay up the £24 000 on the grounds that they "only protect property belonging to the church and plaques belong to relatives....we would expect thieves to have a little more respect". Might expect insurers to have a bit, too: it's only £24 000.   
   Meanwhile across the Atlantic the New Jersey press reports that  the recession and the metal shortage has caused a spate of thefts- a church bell among them, but also bits of swimming pool, electricity substation,  football fields...

Comments

[Brother Enrique]

I was once told that stealing from a church was a mortal sin, similar to accepting the name Father and molesting the children. They all are paths toward Hell and Damnation.
Gracias a Dios