800-Year-Old Heart Stolen from Dublin Cathedral - as part of the news and politics series by GeoBeats.

St. Laurence O'Toole's 800 year old heart was stolen from Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin on March 3rd, 2012.

Hi I am Sheri, discussing the story of a Saint's stolen heart.

Nearly a thousand years old, Christ Church Cathedral, located in Dublin, Ireland is estimated to be founded in early 11th century. It is among the city's oldest buildings and a national landmark.

The cathedral contains many prized treasures. One of them being O'Toole's heart, which had been placed inside a wooden heart-shaped box for centuries.

As per the BBC report, the thief broke through the iron bars, behind which the heart was placed.

Around the world, there has been a spike in robberies involving precious religious artifacts.

Mexico and other parts in Latin America have seen a significant increase in thefts at religious places over the last several decades.

Hindu temples in India and elsewhere have seen a higher robbery rate. The price of gold has tripled over the last 5 years and since many Hindu Gods are adorned with gold, thieves see temples as a rich target.

Although they have no suspect yet, authorities are working hard to find who was behind the robbery at Christ Church Cathedral.

What do you think religious institutions can do to prevent such burglaries while allowing open access to places of worship?