Naked Russian man climbs onto altar in the Basilica of St. Peter
June 3, 2023
On June 1, just before the closing of the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, one of the men visiting the temple stripped naked and climbed the main altar. In this way he wanted to protest against the war in Ukraine. On his back he had an inscription calling for saving children from a country invaded by the Russians. The man was detained by Vatican guards and handed over to the Italian police.
According to the newspaper "Corriere della Sera", he is a 34-year-old Russian with a Polish passport. The man suffers from a serious form of depression and other mental disorders. He was ordered to leave Italian territory.
Today at noon, Card. Mauro Gambetti OFM conv. presided at the main altar of the basilica of the Holy Mass for the act of profanation. Meanwhile, the Vatican is working on new measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.