Man urinates on Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica altar at morning mass, security escorts him out

An unidentified man urinated on the Altar of Confession during the 9 a.m. Holy Mass on Friday morning inside St. Peter’s Basilica, according to witnesses and media reports.

Security personnel escorted him away from the altar as gasps could be heard in the crowd of onlookers, according to the Catholic News Agency.

It is not yet confirmed whether Pope Leo XIV was present in the church at the time of the incident. 

Some reports indicated that the pontiff was “shocked” when he learned of what occured but the Holy See Press Office has not released an official statement yet. 

It is unclear if the man will face charges and the motive behind the incident has not been determined.