A man visiting the Vatican stripped off his clothes and ran naked to the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica in an apparent act of protest against the war in Ukraine, officials said.
An image posted online shows the man with an inscription painted on his back calling for Ukrainian children to be saved.
Guards handed the unidentified man over to Italian police, a Vatican source told Reuters, adding that he also had self-inflicted cuts on his body from his fingernails.
It’s unclear if he faces charges.
The incident occurred just before the basilica closed on Thursday afternoon.
This is not the first time someone has stripped at the St. Peter’s Basilica complex.
In 2016, 44-year-old Luis Carlo Giampaoli was arrested after he took off his clothes at the site, the Independent reported.
A man visiting the Vatican stripped and jumped atop the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in what appeared to be a protest against the war in Ukraine. Scrawled on his back is a message calling for Ukrainian children to be saved.
Vatican guards handed the unidentified man over to Italian authorities after his stunt, which occurred just before the basilica closed on Thursday afternoon.
He was taken to a local hospital to undergo a psychiatric evaluation after he shouted “Dear brothers and sisters, I’m from Brazil!” in Portuguese.
