Theologically speaking, it is always stupid to break one of the ten commandments. However, some people add an exclamation point to the 7th commandment by stealing some really stupid stuff. For instance, don’t steal something that can automatically track where it’s at and report your exact position to the police, like stealing a GPS enabled phone. In a similar vein, a recent story from California falls into this category and I guess would be filed under “religiously stupid” acts.
A woman decided to steal a 1st class relic of St. Anthony from the church bearing his name and on the saint’s feast day nonetheless. Now, those who don’t fall into the “religiously stupid” category will quickly note that St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost things. What do you suppose the chances would be of a 1st class relic of the patron saint of lost objects staying…lost? I’d say about zero, and that is how this bizarre story ended today. The relic, along with the stupid person who stole it, have been found. Another triumph for St. Anthony who today got himself…unlost.