After several days of silence, Pope Leo XIV has responded firmly to the sacrilegious act that took place last Friday inside St. Peter’s Basilica. The Pope summoned Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the basilica’s archpriest, ordering the immediate celebration of a rite of reparation to atone for the desecration of the Altar of the Confession.
The incident, which caused outrage around the world, involved a tourist who tried to urinate on the altar above the tomb of Saint Peter, taking advantage of a brief lapse in security. The man was promptly stopped by the Vatican Gendarmerie, but images of the act quickly spread online.
During what sources described as a “tense” meeting, the Pope expressed his “deep sorrow and distress” and emphasized the need to “restore the sanctity of the site and ask God’s forgiveness.”
The penitential rite — provided for in the Ceremoniale Episcoporum in cases of serious profanation — was held behind closed doors around noon. It included the sprinkling of holy water on the altar and nave, the recitation of penitential psalms, and prayers of reparation.
This is the third incident in just over two years involving the Altar of the Confession. The identity and nationality of the tourist have not been released; he remains in custody with Vatican authorities.