A 45-year-old Greek Cypriot man was arrested after taking the Holy Cross during the Epiphany water blessing ceremony at Limassol’s old port on Tuesday.
Police located the man on Tuesday evening and took him in for questioning, where he was subsequently arrested with a court warrant.
Under questioning, he admitted diving into the sea and retrieving the cross, but claimed he took it by mistake when leaving the old port because he was in a hurry.
The wooden cross, which has no significant monetary value, was found in a field. The man said he placed it there after reading reports that police were searching for it.
The cross was returned to ecclesiastical authorities.
The 45-year-old was charged in writing with theft, then released. He will be summoned to appear before court at a later date.
