". . . we can do little more now than snatch the fingernail of a saint. . . ."

That in a nutshell was Whittaker Chambers's view of the future of the west.

And now the relics are being pilfered, too:

THIEVES PRISED OPEN LOCKS TO STEAL PRICELESS SHRINE

THIEVES who stole a priceless 12th-century shrine from behind an alarmed bulletproof glass panel in a church were able to prise the locks open with a screwdriver or their fingers.

The richly ornate St Manchan's Shrine was taken from Boher Church in Co Offaly by two culprits in broad daylight on Friday.

Read the rest here.