A man wreaked havoc on the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican
Kyiv • UNN
At St. Peter's Basilica, an unidentified Romanian man threw candlesticks off the high altar and tried to remove the altar cloth. The offender with a mental disorder was detained by the Vatican security service.
A man desecrated the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, climbing on it and dropping to the ground six candlesticks that stood on the altar. This is reported by the Italian news agency ANSA, reports UNN.
After dropping the candlesticks, the man began removing the altar cloth, as seen in a video posted on social media. The suspect was then quickly apprehended by security agents.
According to ANSA, the Romanian-born suspect was apprehended by Vatican police before being identified and charged by agents of the Vatican Inspectorate.
"This is an episode involving a man with a serious mental disorder who was detained by Vatican police and then handed over to the Italian authorities," Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See press office, told ANSA news agency.
According to Spanish newspaper ABC, the man was arrested because the basilica's alarm system went off when he stood on the altar.
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In 2023, there was a similar incident in which a man climbed the high altar and undressed, after which he was also arrested.
The Code of Canon Law, the law governing the Catholic Church, establishes in Canon 1210 that "in a sacred place" such as St. Peter's Basilica, "only that which is for the exercise or promotion of worship, piety, or religion is permitted; anything inconsistent with the sanctity of the place is prohibited.
