Although there have been times when no matter what crimes were committed in Malta, churches were usually off limits, some thieves were not afraid of this sacrilegious act.

One of the first recorded church thefts on the island was from the church at Bir Miftuħ, limits of Gudja. On January 24, 1663, Domenico Bugeja, the church sacristan, found that the tabernacle’s door had been forced open and the ciborium with the consecrated hosts was missing. A wooden box containing about two scudi was also found missing. The parish priest of Gudja reported the matter to the civil and ecclesiastical authorities.

The ciborium was later found at St James church, Valletta, and Nariuzzo Bonnici was suspected of committing the crime. Since suspicion was enough for the Church Inquisition to hear the case, inquisitor Borromeo Cassante enquired whether the case fell under his jurisdiction. However, although the inquisitor was authorised to carry out the investigations, Bonnici was released for lack of evidence.

The first church theft since 1800 was committed by Francesco Mariano, who stole the silver suspended oil lamp of St Publius church, Floriana, in 1802. When he was in prison awaiting trial, Mariano volunteered to act as executioner in exchange for his freedom.

After the execution, Mariano was expected to leave the island for good but he did not. During the first period of British rule in Malta it was common practice that, after the hanging, a mortal shot would be fired at the condemned man as an act of mercy.

On October 18, 1802, when Mariano carried out the execution of Salvu Farrugia at Saqqajja, Rabat, he was killed by the officer in charge. It was said that when the officer drew his pistol, he accidentally shot the executioner.

However, in those days it was common belief that this was not an accident. It was said that sacrilegious theft had to be severely punished and Mariano did not deserve the pardon he was promised for acting as a judicial executioner.

The police were called to investigate another church theft on June 10, 1819. During the previous night, two men gained entrance into Żebbuġ parish church and stole three chandeliers and two lanterns. The stolen articles were later found in an empty well at Ħal Mula. The thiefs were apprehended, flogged and imprisoned.

In 1837, Pawlu Galea was condemned to hard labour for life after he was found guilty of stealing the ciborium from St Theresa church, Cospicua. Another strange thing happened after Galea was convicted for the crime. During the night of December 1-2, 1839, Galea was killed by another prisoner, Wenzu Arnaud. When questioned by the police, Arnaud said he heard voices telling him to kill Galea. When Arnaud was tried for murder the court committed him to the mental hospital.

Toni Cutajar was also sentenced for life when in 1838, at the age of 12, he was caught stealing from the sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception, Qala. Cutajar was given an amnesty and released after nine years. He later went to Turkey, but in 1848 he was extradited to Malta for killing Paolo Stella, a Maltese emigrant. After a trial by jury Cutajar was again sentenced to life imprisonment. He was the first prisoner since 1800 to receive two separate life sentences. However, Cutajar escaped from Corradino prison in August 1867 and managed to leave the island.

Church theft increased in the 20th century. During the night of August 21, 1922, the door of St Julian’s parish church was forced open and several gold items and jewellery were stolen. The crime was solved five years later when the police were investigating a theft of jewellery committed in Żejtun. During a search, Inspector Carol Saliba found a ring which further enquiries revealed was part of the loot stolen from St Julian’s church. Espedito Borg, 23, from Msida, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for the crime.

In 1948, the police received reports that theft was taking place from several private chapels at the Santa Maria Addolorata cemetery. Two youths were eventually charged with the crimes, and on October 19, 1948, they pleaded guilty in the criminal court and received an 18-month prison sentence.

The following year, Sliema residents were shocked by the news that during the night of 8-9 February, 1949, various gold items were stolen from the church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sacro Cuor). Three men had gained entrance from the back of the church and stole several gold items that were displayed in the niches of the statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Ecce Homo, damaging both statues.

Some of the stolen items were later found buried in a field at Żabbar. Other items were recovered after the police received information that a goldsmith had bought some of the items for 25 pounds. However, when the goldsmith became suspicious, he returned the items. The goldsmith had bought the stolen gold from a prison officer who received an 18-month prison sentence for this offence.

Ġużeppi Cassar, Dwardu Zammit and Manwel Sacco were charged with the Sacro Cuor theft and their trial by jury started on July 16, 1949. Cassar was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment as he had another charge in the bill of indictment. The others were sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

Gold, silver, jewellery, paintings and money were not the only items stolen from churches. An odd theft occurred on January 14, 1952, from the Marsaxlokk parish church when 405 pipes of a dismantled pipe organ were stolen. The pipe organ had been bought from Senglea parish some time earlier and the crime remained unsolved.

Unknown people stole golden articles from the statue of St Catherine in Żejtun on September 3, 1979. Five days later, the archpriest of the locality announced that several donations were made by parishioners and the precious ornaments were being replaced.

The 1984 disappearance of the painting of St Jerome from St John’s Co-Cathedral was undoubtedly the biggest church theft in the island. It was recovered in 1988, during a police raid. It was believed that the painting was destined to be taken abroad

The 1984 disappearance of the painting of St Jerome from St John’s Co-Cathedral was undoubtedly the biggest church theft in the island. The Caravaggio painting was damaged after it was cut out of its frame on December 29, 1984. It was recovered on August 4, 1988, during a raid conducted by the police. It was believed that the stolen painting was destined to be taken abroad; in fact, the help of Interpol was requested.

The major breakthrough in solving the crime occurred on November 24, 1986, when two men contacted museums director Marius Zerafa and demanded €1.15 million for the painting. Fr Zerafa was given a tape and a photo of the stolen painting with a coffee pot on it. Not to lose contact with the thieves, Fr Zerafa gave them the impression that he was interested in buying the painting back, but he asked that the price be reduced.

Fr Zerafa continued to receive calls from the thieves almost every day, sometimes three times a day, and the police were not informed with these developments. He also received a number of bits of canvas cut from the painting.

On July 5, 1987, the calls that were being made to Fr Zerafa were traced and it was revealed that they were being made from a shoe factory in Marsa. After he got hold of the workbooks of the shoe factory, Fr Zerafa passed the information to the police and Superintendent Alfred Calleja took charge of the investigations. Further investigations established that the Marsa factory had Italian connections and it was believed that the Mafia had commissioned the stealing of the painting. It was also believed that the painting was sent to Italy and brought back to Malta after failed attempts to sell it in Europe.

The painting was recovered from a house in Marsascala on August 4, 1988, after it was removed from the Marsa factory some time earlier. That evening, Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami made a statement in House of Representatives on the painting’s recovery. The Prime Minister praised Fr Zerafa for his interest, forbearance, prudence and good sense, which helped the investigations to bear fruit. The Prime Minister also thanked former Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici and other former ministers for their particular attention to the case.

Two days later, two men were arraigned in court and charged with the theft; however, a constitutional case was filed against the police because of phone tapping. Meanwhile, the two accused with the theft died as the constitutional case dragged on in court.

On the night of April 18, 1989, there was another burglary at St John’s Co-Cathedral. The following morning the sacristan discovered that the effigy of Our Lady of Carafa had been divested of its silver ornamental crest. Two silver ornaments forming part of the gate leading to the chapel of the sacrament and a silver cross were also found to be missing. Six days later, a silver icon representing Our Lady was also stolen from the cathedral and painting of the beheading of St John the Baptist was damaged.

Eventually a 23-year-old former health assistant was found guilty of trying to steal the painting and he was given a two-year imprisonment sentence suspended for four years.

In his statement to the police the accused had admitted the theft but denied damaging the painting.

Between June 1984 and March 1985, gold and other valuable objects were stolen from the basilica of Our Lady of Victories in Senglea. During the night of June 14, 1984, someone gained entry to the church from the oratory’s skylight and lowered himself by means of a rope to the place where the statue of Jesus the Redeemer is venerated. It was said that the thief or thieves panicked and this was the reason why more objects were not stolen.

The second Senglea theft occurred during the night of March 21-22, 1986, and how the thieves gained entry to the church remained a mystery. This time the thieves broke the 1.3cm-thick glass of the niche of the statue of Our Lady of Victories by means of a large candlestick. Among the golden items stolen was the golden rose affixed to the statue’s pedestal. Both thefts remained unsolved.

Between 1983 and 1985, paintings were stolen from Wied il-Qirda chapel, limits of Żebbuġ, Malta, Tal-Providenza chapel in Siġġiewi, and St Mathew’s chapel, limits of Qrendi. The 300-year-old Mattia Preti painting showing the killing of St Matthew was discovered missing on September 19, 1984.

A man found in possession of the stolen articles was charged with the theft and of receiving stolen goods. The Magistrates Court found him guilty of the latter charge and he was fined €11,500. However, the Court of Appeal squashed the conviction.

Times have changed significantly in the 21st century. Churches are not only seeing their fair share of break-ins and thefts, but people are being robbed in churches. According to police statistics, in 2006 there were 18 thefts from churches and seven from religious institutions.

Six rings, two bracelets, two necklaces, a pair of earrings and bank notes were stolen from the niche of the statue of Our Lady of Graces, Żabbar, on November 21, 2009. The theft had gone unnoticed until the following day when Fr Sebastian Caruana went to open the tabernacle during the 6am Sunday Mass. When it was found out that someone had tampered with tabernacle’s lock, the parish priest informed the police.

Meanwhile it was also found out that the statue’s niche had been forced open and some jewellery and old bank notes were missing. Luckily, the parish priest had recorded the serial numbers of the bank notes placed in a collection box in the niche and the Central Bank had been alerted of the theft as it was presumed that someone might attempt to exchange the old currency for euros

The thief fell into the trap and when he went to the Central Bank to exchange the bank notes the police were informed and he was arrested and eventually charged with the crime. The 27-year-old admitted that he had committed the theft to buy drugs and he was given a three-year imprisonment sentence. However, the Court of Appeal reduced the punishment by four months after taking into consideration that the Żabbar parish priest forgave the accused.

In 2011, it was reported that church thefts had tripled; however, the reported thefts included the stealing of unattended handbags during the distribution of Holy Communion or stealing from the handbags

In 2011, it was reported that church thefts had tripled; however, the reported thefts included the stealing of unattended handbags during the distribution of Holy Communion or stealing from the handbags. As a matter of fact, in some parishes, people were warned about this new type of crime. Between November 2011 and February 2012 a series of such thefts took place from churches in Burmarrad, Pietà, Ta’ Xbiex, Sliema, Gżira, Mellieħa, Naxxar, Żebbuġ, Ħamrun, Balzan, Lija, Birkirkara, Għargħur, San Ġwann, Attard and St Julian’s.

Luckily, a woman and her Italian partner were caught red-handed committing such a crime and eventually the woman and her partner were sentenced to four and two years’ imprisonment, respectively. During the court proceedings, women testified that they had recognised the accused who used to be present at the church, and then disappear.

In September 2012, another foreigner was sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of €25 worth of theft from the Tal-Erwieħ chapel, Tarxien. The accused was on probation when he committed the theft.

Two months later, a 43-year-old man admitted in court of stealing a painting from the Ta’ Ġiesu church in Rabat. He received a six months’ imprisonment sentence suspended by three years.

On November 14, 2012, a 43-year-old man admitted in court of stealing a painting from Ta’ Ġieżu church, Rabat, on the previous day. The accused said he could not explain why he felt the need to do such a thing from the same church in which the funeral of his late father was held some time before.

The stolen painting was an 1812 work of art by Giorgio Hyzler. When the accused was arrested some hours after the theft took place, he said he never intended to sell the painting and that he was going to return the stolen item.

The court sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment suspended by three years.