By Tim Binnall
An American tourist is in hot water with authorities in Italy following a bizarre incident wherein he smashed a pair of ancient busts at the Vatican after his request to meet Pope Francis was denied. The very weird act of vandalism reportedly occurred last week as the unnamed traveler was visiting the Vatican's Chiaramonti Museum, which is home to an array of centuries-old artwork. For reasons unexplained, the man asked a museum worker if he could speak to the pope. Upon being informed that such an impromptu meeting was not possible, the tourist became enraged and yanked a 2,000-year-old bust off of a nearby wall and threw it to the ground.
His path of destruction was not quite finished as, in attempting to flee the scene, the man also knocked a second ancient bust to the floor before he wound up being detained by stunned security guards. After being questioned by the Vatican police, the man was taken into custody by Italian authorities. Described as "minor works" in the museum's collection, the busts are currently being restored by Vatican experts. While it is uncertain what will become of the tourist, he will presumably face criminal charges for smashing the two ancient pieces and, if Pope Francis caught wind of what happened at the museum, it's likely a safe assumption that the man will not be getting an audience with His Holiness anytime soon.