Purification rite in St. Peter's after naked man desecrated pope's altar


FILE PHOTO: St. Peter's Basilica is seen from Pincio Terrace in Rome, Italy, January 1, 2023. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A special purification rite was held at the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday after it was desecrated by a man who stood on it naked to protest against the war in Ukraine.

The prayer service, known as a penitential rite and required by Canon law, was led by the basilica's archpriest, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti.

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