A shocking incident at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City saw a man allegedly urinate on the Altar of the Confession as hundreds of visitors looked on, leading Pope Leo to order an immediate purification ceremony.
According to Italian outlet Il Tempo, the event occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time on Friday, Oct. 10. The man reportedly bypassed barriers surrounding the altar, ascended the steps, and urinated on the sacred site. Tourists in attendance captured the act on video, which has since gone viral online.
Plainclothes police officers quickly intervened and removed the man from the basilica, Il Tempo reported.
The Vatican has not yet released the man’s identity. According to The Telegraph, Pope Leo was said to be deeply disturbed by the act and met with Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, to decide on next steps. Following their meeting, the pope directed that purification rites be held for the Altar of the Confession — located above the tomb of St. Peter, the first pope of the Catholic Church.
On Monday, Oct. 13, the basilica was temporarily closed for the ritual. Clergy members recited prayers and psalms while holy water was poured over the altar, according to the report. A Vatican spokesperson later confirmed to The Telegraph that the ceremony had been completed.
Completed in 1615 under Pope Paul V, the present St. Peter’s Basilica stands as one of the world’s most important religious landmarks and features masterpieces by artists such as Michelangelo and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, according to Britannica.
This is not the first time the basilica has been desecrated. Earlier this year, in February, a Romanian man damaged six 19th-century candelabras after jumping onto the altar, the Catholic News Agency reported. The fixtures, valued at over $30,000, were destroyed before Vatican police detained the man.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican Press Office, told ANSA that the perpetrator in that case suffered from “serious mental disabilities” and was handed over to Italian authorities.
In another incident in 2023, a Polish man stripped naked on the altar with “save children of Ukraine” written on his back, also prompting a purification ceremony. During that rite, Cardinal Gambetti reportedly declared: “We are here to tell the Lord that we recognize that this structure of sin conditions the actions of God’s people. Lord, we ask your forgiveness, purify us.”
