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German homeless man dies at St. Peter's Square

November 25, 2022

The German-born man passed away near St. Peter's Square following several nights "of cold and rain," the Vatican said.

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Reflection of the dome of St. Peter's near St. Peter's Square in Rome
The man died while sleeping rough at one of the columns in St. Peter's SquareImage: Matteo Nardone/Pacific Press/picture alliance

Pope Francis offered his condolences on Friday after a man who was homeless died at the portico near St. Peter's Basilica.

The man was a German national in his early 60s who died following days of cold and rainy weather.

What happened to the man?

Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni announced the German man's death in a statement, saying Francis learned of the man's passing "with sorrow."

The man "was born in 1961 in Germany and lived on the streets of Rome" and received care from charities and Catholic Church institutions.

"Unfortunately, the past few nights of cold and rain contributed to the fragile nature of his condition, already affected by homelessness," Bruni said.

View of St. Peter's Square in Rome in a late winter evening
The man passed away following several days of cold and wet weather, the Vatican saidImage: Matteo Nardone/Pacific Press/picture alliance

A photo posted by the official Vatican News portal showed a body wrapped in rescue foil at a column on St. Peter's Square with police standing nearby.

Battling homelessness in Europe

The statement said Pope Francis prayed for the deceased man and all those living without shelter in Rome and around the world.

Many people who are homeless sleep in areas around St. Peter's Square every night.

According to the latest data published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Italy's estimated homeless population is over 50,700 while Germany is estimated to have a homeless population of over 337,000.

rs/ar (dpa, KNA)