Vandalism in St. Peter's Basilica: Man destroys Kandelaber before the horror of tourists

Vandalism in St. Peter's Basilica: Man destroys Kandelaber before the horror of tourists

Petersdom, Rom, Italien - A shocking incident exposes the security gaps in St. Peter's Basilica: On Friday, a mentally ill Romanian climbed onto the high altar and devastated it with a variety of destructive acts. According to report the Kathpress tore down the man candlelight and the altar-cloth, while stunning tourists filmed the incident with their cell phones. The Vatican gendarmerie immediately arrested the man and handed it over to the Italian police after he had thrown some valuable Kandelaber from the 19th century.

The incident occurred as part of the current Holy Year, in which the security measures around St. Peter's Basilica were increased. Despite these precautions, attacks on the high altar, which is located under the magnificent canopy by Gian Luigi Bernini, cannot be ruled out. According to the Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, the man is "presumably mentally ill" and caused great excitement through his behavior, as the

This type of vandalism is not new in St. Peter's Basilica. As early as spring 2023, a naked protest against the Ukraine secretary had climbed the altar. At that time, the arch -priest was forced to hold a penitence liturgy on the shaked altar. This year a high number of visitors of over 32 million is expected in the Vatican, which also exerts pressure on the security measures.