Vatican Police, Swiss Guards Remove Shouting Man From General Audience; Pope Francis Requests Prayers For Him

Vatican gendarmerie and the Swiss Guard removed from the Paul VI audience hall on Wednesday a man between 40 and 50 years old who, visibly upset, interrupted Pope Francis’ General Audience by shouting.

EWTN News photographer Daniel Ibáñez said the man began by yelling in English “this is not God’s church” and then said in Italian: “no more masks in the church…this is not the church of Jesus Christ…The church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic…You’re not the king.”

At the end of his Feb. 2 catechesis, Pope Francis referred to what happened: “A few minutes ago we heard a person who was yelling, yelling, who had some problem. I don’t know if it’s physical, psychological, spiritual. A brother of ours in difficulty,” he explained.

According to the Catholic News Agency, the pope also asked for prayers for the man.

“I would like to finish by praying for him, for our brother who is suffering, the poor man, if he shouted it’s because he is suffering, he has some need, don’t be deaf to the need of this brother,” he said.

The pope ended by praying a Hail Mary for him, together with the pilgrims present at the General Audience.