ST PETER’S BASILICA VANDALISED

A man has caused damage inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

Italian news agency reported that the man is from Romania.

The individual climbed onto the main altar and knocked over a candelabra from the 19th century. The candelabra, worth thousands of dollars, broke.

The altar, used for important liturgical celebrations that are usually presided over by Pope Francis, is located beneath the basilica’s famous stone canopy which was recently restored. The canopy was designed by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

CNN reports that a Vatican spokesman told Ansa that the incident involved a person with a “serious mental disability, who has been detained by the Vatican Police and then placed at the disposal of the Italian authorities.”

The Vatican hasn’t commented further on the incident.

2025 is the Catholic Church’s jubilee year. There are around 32 million pilgrims expected to visit Rome this year.

To prepare for the influx of tourists, the basilica erected new protective glass in front of Michaelangelo’s Pieta sculpture.

Image credit: CNN