A man caused a commotion at the Vatican by urinating on the Altar of Confession during a holy mass at St Peter’s Basilica before being swiftly removed by authorities.
The unidentified individual ascended the altar of the historic church, lowered his pants, and desecrated the sacred site on Friday. He carried out the act in front of hundreds of shocked tourists, as reported by Corriere della Sera’s Rome edition. The incident occurred near Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s 17th-century Baldachin, a large bronze canopy over the high altar that marks the tomb of St. Peter.
Plainclothes officers promptly escorted the man out of the basilica. Videos captured by bystanders show that as authorities approached, he pulled up his pants, revealing his buttocks to the onlookers.
The occurrence unfolded during the 9:00 am Holy Mass, although it is uncertain whether Pope Leo XIV was leading the service.
Although no official statement has been released by the Holy See Press Office, local outlet Il Tempo mentioned that the news reached the pope, leaving him “shocked.” It remains unclear whether the man faced arrest or charges.
Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, informed ANSA that the individual had a severe mental disability. Vatican Police detained the man and handed him over to Italian authorities.
This incident was not the first attack on the altar. In a separate incident in February, a man disrupted the main altar, causing damage before being apprehended by security personnel.
In a previous event in June 2023, another man approached the high altar at St. Peter’s Basilica with a message written on his back, advocating for the children of Ukraine.
Vatican News reported that in a past occurrence, as Vatican Gendarmerie officers approached the man at the altar, he cooperated and was taken to the police station within the Vatican. Following identification, the man was transferred to Italian authorities as per the Italy-Holy See Treaty, receiving an expulsion order from Italian territory.