A man urinated on the Altar of Confession during a holy mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Friday before being taken away by authorities as tourists watched in horror.
The unidentified individual scaled the altar of the renowned house of worship before lowering his trousers to his ankles and defiling the sacred grounds.
According to the local newspaper, Corriere della Sera’s Rome edition, the man “urinated under the stunned gaze of hundreds of tourists.”
Plainclothes officers swiftly ejected the man from the location. When officials approached him, he rapidly crouched down and pulled his jeans back up as he exposed his buttocks to the visitors, videos captured by onlookers reveal.
The disturbing episode took place during the 9:00 a. m, Holy Mass, though it remains uncertain whether Pope Leo XIV was presiding over it.
While the Holy See Press Office has not issued an official statement regarding the incident, the local publication Il Tempo reported that word reached Pope Leo, who was “shocked.”
It’s unknown if the man faced arrest or charges following the urination.
The Friday episode was not the first time someone targeted the celebrated altar.
In February, a man violated the main altar by climbing atop it and hurling six candelabras to the floor.
After tossing the candelabras, the individual tried to strip away the altar cloth. Nevertheless, he was rapidly apprehended by security personnel and led outside.
“This is an episode of a person with a serious mental disability, who has been detained by the Vatican Police and then placed at the disposal of the Italian authorities,” the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told ANSA.
Similarly, in June 2023, a man reached the altar in a startling security lapse. While he remained relatively quiet during his time at the main altar, images shared online revealed the phrase “Save children of Ukraine” scrawled in marker across his back.
“As officers of the Vatican Gendarmerie approached, the man did not resist but cooperated as they led him to the police station inside the Vatican,” the Vatican News report said. “After ascertaining his identity, the man was handed over to the Italian police, according to the Italy-Holy See Treaty, and was issued an expulsion order and instructed to leave Italian territory.”
St. Peter’s Basilica stands as one of the most holy sites in the Roman Catholic Church and represents one of the most celebrated examples of Renaissance architecture.
The location serves as a major pilgrimage destination, attracting approximately 10 million visitors annually, according to local media reports.
The renowned basilica captured international attention earlier this year when Pope Francis’ body was transferred there in April for a public viewing period, enabling mourners to pay their final respects. However, breaking with established custom, he was not interred at St. Peter’s Basilica, but instead at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.