Tourists were left stunned as a man brazenly urinated on the Vatican Altar of Confession during Holy Mass in full view of hundreds of worshippers.

The indecent act happened on Friday at the St. Peter’s Basilica as security sprinted up the steps to escort the unidentified man out as he pulled up his pants.

The Vatican has yet to make an official comment on the incident, and there was no word on the arrested man or if he was charged.

The Altar of Confession, which is positioned directly below Michelangelo’s dome, is a sacred Catholic spot where the pope celebrates major masses and Pope Francis’s body was laid for public viewing.

A clip of the incident went viral on X, with shocked commentators calling the act “vile” and “absolutely shocking and deeply disrespectful.”

Others questioned the lack of security, which has been an issue in the past. In February, a man climbed the altar and knocked over six candelabras also in June 2023, a naked Polish man jumped onto the altar with “Save children of Ukraine” written on his back.

After that incident, canon law required the Vatican to hold a penitential rite to cleanse the grounds.

The repeated stunts and security breaches at major religious sites have raised concerns about how well such locations are being protected.

Friday’s stunt – carried out at the heart of the Vatican – is likely to intensify calls for a security overhaul.