Chaos erupted at St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday when a man allegedly urinated on the church’s main altar, one of the holiest sites in Christendom. Security guards and plainclothes police swiftly intervened, escorting the suspect out of the basilica as stunned onlookers recorded the disturbing act.
According to multiple Italian reports, the man defiled the Altar of the Confession in full view of tourists and worshippers. Vatican officials said the individual was quickly detained and turned over to Italian authorities. “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,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told ANSA.
Sources said Pope Leo was informed of the incident and was “shocked to learn of the news.” Under Canon Law, such acts require a penitential rite before public worship can resume.
The desecration marks the latest in a troubling pattern of incidents at the basilica. In February, another man damaged ceremonial items on the same altar. And in 2023, a protester stripped near the altar with the words “Save children of Ukraine” scrawled on his back.
The Vatican has since reinforced security measures, emphasizing the need to protect sacred spaces from desecration. For many Catholics, the St. Peter’s Basilica incident serves as a painful reminder of the growing disregard for religious reverence in modern society.