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Spain: Church electrician doesn’t remember Codex confession

FILE - In this July 7, 2011 file photo, Jose Maria Diaz, the Dean of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, left, poses by a replica of the 12th century religious Calixtinus Codex manuscript on display in the cathedral. A former electrician for Spain’s famed cathedral in Santiago de Compostela is on trial for his alleged theft of the priceless 12th-century Codex Calixtinus religious manuscript. It is considered the first guide for Christians making the ancient pilgrimage across northern Spain called the Camino de Santiago. Jose Manuel Fernandez Castineiras appeared in court Monday Jan. 19, 2015 with his wife and son after authorities found the Codex in his garage in 2011 and recovered 1.2 million euros ($1.4 million). (AP Photo, File) FILE - In this July 7, 2011 file photo, Jose Maria Diaz, the Dean of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, left, poses by a replica of the 12th century religious Calixtinus Codex manuscript on display in the cathedral. A former electrician for Spain’s famed cathedral in Santiago de Compostela is on trial for his alleged theft of the priceless 12th-century Codex Calixtinus religious manuscript. It is considered the first guide for Christians making the ancient pilgrimage across northern Spain called the Camino de Santiago. Jose Manuel Fernandez Castineiras appeared in court Monday Jan. 19, 2015 with his wife and son after authorities found the Codex in his garage in 2011 and recovered 1.2 million euros ($1.4 million). (AP Photo, File)

By Associated Press January 20, 2015 1 min read

MADRID (AP) – The former electrician for Spain’s famed cathedral in Santiago de Compostela has denied having ever seen the priceless 12th-century Codex Calixtinus that authorities found in his garage and says he doesn’t remember confessing to stealing it.

Jose Manuel Fernandez Castineiras, who is in his 60s, made the declarations in court Tuesday on his trial’s second day.

The richly-decorated Codex, which went missing in 2011, is considered the first guide for Christians making the pilgrimage to venerate St. James.

Authorities who searched the electrician’s home in 2012 also found other valuable religious works and recovered more than 1 million euros ($1.2 million).

The popular pilgrimage across northern Spain to the cathedral in the northwestern Galicia region was inspired by the reputed discovery of the apostle’s tomb around the year 800.