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Desecration at St. Peter’s Basilica: Tourist Urinates on Altar During Holy Mass, Pope Leo XIV ‘Shocked’
A disturbing scene unfolded on Friday morning inside the world’s most iconic Catholic site — St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City — when an unidentified man urinated on the Altar of Confession during Holy Mass. The act, witnessed by hundreds of horrified tourists, has left Pope Leo XIV “shocked” and the Vatican community reeling.
According to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the man climbed onto the sacred altar, lowered his pants, and desecrated one of the holiest sites in Christianity. The incident took place near Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s 17th-century Baldachin, a monumental bronze canopy that marks the tomb of Saint Peter, the first Pope.
Authorities Move Swiftly
Plainclothes officers from the Vatican Gendarmerie quickly intervened, escorting the man out of the basilica. Eyewitness videos circulating online show him pulling up his jeans and flashing his buttocks before being detained.
The act occurred during the 9:00 a.m. Holy Mass, though it remains unclear whether Pope Leo XIV was personally presiding at the time. Despite the immediate response, the desecration sparked outrage among the faithful and prompted questions about security inside the Vatican.
St. Peter’s Basilica
Vatican Responds: ‘A Person With Serious Mental Disability’
While the Holy See Press Office has yet to issue a formal statement, its director Matteo Bruni told Italian news agency ANSA that the man appeared to suffer from a serious mental disability. “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,” Bruni said.
It remains uncertain whether the man will face formal charges under Italian or Vatican law, as the Italy–Holy See Treaty governs such cross-jurisdictional incidents.
St. Peter’s Basilica Tourist Urinates on Altar During Holy Mass
A Disturbing Pattern of Attacks on Sacred Sites
This is not the first desecration of the Altar of Confession. In February 2025, another man climbed the same altar, threw down six candelabras, and attempted to remove the altar cloth before being detained.
In June 2023, a different protester entered the basilica with the words “Save children of Ukraine” written on his back. Though that incident was peaceful, it signaled growing unrest and symbolic acts targeting the Vatican’s sacred spaces.
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Faith Shaken, But Security Tightens
The latest event has once again shaken the global Catholic community, with many expressing sadness over the apparent rise in acts of sacrilege. Vatican police have reportedly tightened surveillance around key basilica sites in response.
For now, Pope Leo XIV’s reaction of “shock” encapsulates the disbelief shared by millions worldwide — that such a holy place could become the stage for one of the most profane acts in modern Vatican history.
