Reparation rite performed after man urinates on Vatican high altar

Once again the security of St. Peter's Basilica has come under scrutiny.

VATICAN CITY (PerMariam) — A penitential rite of purification was reportedly carried out this morning in the Vatican, after a man stripped partially naked and urinated on the High Altar of the basilica.

On Friday morning last week, a man climbed up onto the platform by the Altar of the Confessio inside St. Peter’s Basilica, where he then proceeded to disrobe and urinate against the altar itself.

A blurred out screenshot of the video. ©X/video screenshot

Footage of the incident went swiftly viral over the weekend, but the Holy See Press Office remained silent, thus causing a delay in the corroboration of the exact details of the event.

The man can be seen standing close to the High Altar of the Confessio, while Mass was taking place at the Altar of the Throne under the famous Holy Spirit window.

Guards of the Sanpietrini are shown hustling the individual off the altar whilst onlookers survey the scene in its horror.

A number of Italian outlets have now provided further confirmation of the desecration, including Il Messaggero’s respected Vaticanist Franca Giansoldalti, who writes that the whole affair took around 10 minutes. The perpetrator was reportedly from Kosovo.

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that Pope Leo personally intervened to ensure that a penitential rite of reparation was carried out. However, there has been no public or official information to suggest that Leo had to intervene in order the bring about the appropriate ceremonies, nor has there been any reaction officially attributed to him by the Holy See offices.

The Holy See Press Office has yet to make any comment on the matter at all, and has not responded to questions from this correspondent enquiring if Leo was involved as has been reported.

Notwithstanding this, Il Messaggero writes that the penitential rite was enacted this morning. The Church’s Canon Law 1211 dictates the circumstances under which such a rite is necessary:

Sacred places are violated by gravely injurious actions done in them with scandal to the faithful, actions which, in the judgment of the local ordinary, are so grave and contrary to the holiness of the place that it is not permitted to carry on worship in them until the damage is repaired by a penitential rite according to the norm of the liturgical books.

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti is the Archpriest of the Basilica, and as such is responsible for leading the penitential rite, as he has done on previous occasions.

Friday’s desecration is the second such this year and raises questions about the implementation of security and basic decorum within the Basilica itself.

In February, a man jumped on top of the same Altar of the Confessio and kicked the six ornate, antique candle-sticks down onto the floor. He then proceeded to throw the altar cloths onto the ground also before being apprehended and taken into custody by the guards.

In a statement issued to Ansa news agency at the time, Matteo Bruni – director of the Holy See Press Office – said that “this is an episode of a person with serious mental disabilities, who was taken into custody by the Vatican Gendarmerie and handed over to the Italian authorities.”

On both occasions, footage suggests the guards were slow to react in dealing with the men. While security externally and tourist numbers are notably high during the Jubilee year, nevertheless inside the Basilica itself the sheer mass of crowds have led to scenes which can easily become difficult to control. Jubilee volunteers can sometimes be the only personnel around the base of the Altar, and diligence is not especially high.

It is not known if an act of reparation took place after February’s attack on the Altar.

But one did take place in June 2023, when a naked man climbed atop of the Altar in a protest relating to the war in Ukraine.

In the evening of June 1, a man was photographed climbing up to the Altar before removing his clothes and revealing the words “Save Children in Ukraine” inscribed on his back.

He was reportedly suffering from depression and experiencing mental disturbance, with news reports relating he was mourning “for Ukrainian children losing their lives under Russian bombardment.”

Less than a month prior, another man had broken through the Vatican’s security when he drove his car through the St. Anne’s gate (north of the Basilica), evading the clutches of the Swiss Guards, before eventually surrendering himself.

He had attempted to enter, but upon being informed he did not have permission he reversed and then “re-entered at high speed, forcing the two control gates, of the Swiss Guard and the Gendarmerie Corps of the Vatican City State.”

Having seen the man drive past the Swiss Guards, “the Gendarmerie inspector guarding the gateway fired a gunshot in the direction of the vehicle’s front tires. Despite hitting the vehicle on the left front fender, the car continued on its way,” the Holy See’s Press Office reported.

The individual named Simone Baldovino was determined to have psychological imbalances and had a history of drug abuse.

Now, once again the operational management of St. Peter’s Basilica has come under scrutiny and for no happy reasons. In recent years there has also been a growing lack of decorum amongst Basilica staff, guards and more recently the Jubilee volunteers, prompting questions about the efficacy of Gambetti’s management.