Overview
- A tourist allegedly stripped and urinated on the Altar of the Confession inside St. Peter’s Basilica, according to eyewitness videos and reports.
- Pope Leone XIV instructed Cardinal Mauro Gambetti to carry out a penitential reparatory rite prescribed by the Caerimoniale Episcoporum to restore the sanctity of the site.
- Il Fatto Quotidiano reports the rite was celebrated Monday at noon with the basilica briefly closed to the public.
- Vatican Gendarmerie confirmed the suspect remains in custody, with his nationality undisclosed and potential transfer of jurisdiction still unclear.
- Internal accounts describe a stormy meeting between the Pope and Cardinal Gambetti, and recent similar incidents in 2023 and February 2025 have renewed scrutiny of basilica security.