Vandal destroys altar in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican

Man climbs onto the high altar in St. Peter’s Basilica. Photo: regnum

On February 7, 2025, a 40-year-old Romanian citizen committed an act of vandalism, damaging the furnishings of the main altar in the Catholic Basilica of Saint Peter the Apostle in the Vatican, reports aa.com.tr.

The man climbed onto the altar beneath the bronze baldachin created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and pushed six antique candelabra to the floor. The candelabra, dated 1865, are estimated to be worth a total of about €30,000.

The basilica’s security guards quickly apprehended the perpetrator and handed him over to the Vatican gendarmerie. His motives remain unknown.

Earlier, it was reported that the Pope held a secret meeting with an LGBT organization.

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