Man Jumps Onto Vatican Basilica Altar, Drops Pants in Front of Hundreds, Causing Shock

Urinates on Altar With Pants Down to Knees
Even the Pope Reportedly Shocked by the Incident

An incident occurred at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, regarded as the heart and center of the Catholic Church, where a man climbed onto the confessional altar and urinated in front of hundreds of worshippers and tourists. On October 11 (local time), Fox News and other outlets, citing Italian media such as Il Tempo and Corriere della Sera, reported that around 9:30 a.m. the previous day, a man was seen urinating with his pants pulled down to his knees in front of the altar, sparking controversy.

In a video rapidly spreading on social networking services (SNS), a young man is seen urinating in front of an altar with his pants pulled down to his knees. X

In a video rapidly spreading on social networking services (SNS), a man is seen quickly climbing onto the altar at the center of St. Peter's Basilica, pulling his pants down to his knees, and beginning to urinate. A startled security guard grabs the man from behind, and shortly afterward, another guard joins in to drag him down from the altar. It was reported that the man bypassed the revolving access control device surrounding the baldachin, which is decorated with bronze and gold leaf, to reach the altar.

Vatican News reported, "When officers from the Vatican Gendarmerie approached, the man did not resist and cooperated as he was escorted to the internal Vatican police station," adding, "After his identity was confirmed, he was handed over to the Italian police and issued a deportation order." Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV was reportedly shocked after hearing about the incident. Italian local media also reported that the Pope might directly address the effectiveness of the security system inside St. Peter's Basilica.

This is not the first time St. Peter's Basilica has suffered such an incident. Earlier this year in February, an individual damaged ceremonial items at the same altar. In 2023, a Polish man staged a protest near the altar, displaying a message on his back reading "Save the children of Ukraine" on the altar. At that time, the Vatican held a penitential ceremony to restore the sanctity of the basilica following the incident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.