Vatican City – Today, Friday, October 10, 2025, in the midst of the Jubilee of Hope, St. Peter’s Basilica witnessed yet another episode of unprecedented gravity.
While thousands of pilgrims were crossing the Holy Door, a man climbed onto the high altar and, before the astonished crowd, completely undressed, exposing himself and shouting incoherent words [see the video here].
A profanation of the holiest place in Christendom. An outrageous act, committed in the very heart of the Basilica, under the helpless gaze of those whose duty it was to safeguard it. Once again, this happened under the responsibility of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of the Papal Basilica, and his collaborators. Once again, the Vatican Gendarmerie and security staff intervened only after several minutes, when the sacrilege had already been consummated.
A scandalous system
As Silere non possum has repeatedly denounced, in recent years a climate of intimidation and arbitrariness has taken root inside St. Peter’s Basilica. Priests are reprimanded and treated arrogantly by the young lay staff recruited by Gambetti and members of the Gendarmerie—guilty only of having stepped a few centimeters beyond an “unauthorized” line. But when a man climbs naked onto Peter’s altar or destroys the Baldachin’s candelabra, everyone remains silent. And no one intervenes in time. Indeed, the Gendarmerie was reportedly ordered: “Make the videos disappear, because if Silere non possum publishes them, we’re done for.” A paradox crying out for justice: strictness for priests and faithful, tolerance for vandals and profaners.
Three incidents, one single responsibility
This is not an isolated event. On February 7, 2025, a man of Romanian origin easily bypassed the security barriers, climbed onto the altar, and smashed six candlesticks, severely damaging them. He even had time to remove the altar cloth before anyone intervened. The Gendarmerie arrived only much later.
Earlier still, on June 1, 2023, a thirty-year-old man—completely naked, with the words “Save children of Ukraina”painted on his back—had also climbed onto the main altar. Those images, too, went around the world. Three incidents, all during the Gambetti era.
Three sacrilegious acts that, before 2020, had never occurred in the history of St. Peter’s Basilica. That alone should suffice to show the gravity of a disastrous administration, which has dismantled the security structure and neglected the care of the most sacred site in Christendom.
Decay and neglect beneath the Baldachin
Anyone entering St. Peter’s today no longer finds only its artistic splendor. One finds neglect, disorder, and decay. The atmosphere of prayer has vanished; everything is left to chance. Since Cardinal Gambetti turned the Fabbrica di San Pietro into a kind of personal enterprise, the Basilica’s traditional custodians—the sampietrini, true keepers of the sacred place—have been reduced in number or confined to offices. In their place, inexperienced youths, chosen more for loyalty than for competence. The result is visible to all: dirt, confusion, and laughable security measures.
Action must be taken
Those in positions of responsibility must be held accountable. No more childish excuses, no more perfunctory press conferences or hollow statements. Immediate measures are needed against those who have dismantled the vigilance system and left the Basilica vulnerable and profaned. At stake is the very credibility of an institution.
d.C.T.
Silere non possum