The petition, presented as an open letter to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, expresses what it describes as “deep concern” among the faithful about decisions taken under the responsibility of the basilica’s archpriest, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti.
It asks for a formal canonical and pastoral review, arguing that the introduction of a commercial or quasi-commercial space in such proximity to Christianity’s most important church risks undermining the sanctity of the site.
It has been conventionally understood that the space overlooking Rome has traditionally been regarded as free from commercial activity.
The open letter refers to media reports that began circulating on January 29 suggesting that work was under way to create a bistro on the large terrace situated in front of the statues of the Apostles.
The claims were initially reported by the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, which described a project involving the conversion of former service areas once used by the Sampietrini, the workers responsible for maintaining the basilica.
According to the report, materials and furnishings had already begun to arrive, and the project was said to have been developed with a degree of secrecy.
Within hours, Vatican News carried a clarification from the basilica’s communications office denying that a restaurant or bistro was planned. Instead, it said that the Vatican was considering an enlargement of the terrace area accessible to pilgrims in order to manage rising visitor numbers.
“To cope with the increased number of visitors, an extension of the terrace area accessible to pilgrims is being considered,” the statement said, adding that this would involve expanding “the small refreshment area already in place, with a sober style appropriate to the context, respectful of the sacredness of the place, and meeting the needs of pilgrims”.
St Peter’s already has a café on the roof level between the basilica and Michelangelo’s dome, frequently used by pilgrims who climb to the cupola.
Vatican officials have stressed that any changes would be aimed at easing congestion inside the church and, according to the statement, could “reduce the concentration of visitors in the basilica and promote a more contemplative atmosphere”.
The petition argues, however, that the distinction between a “bistro” and an expanded café does not resolve the underlying issue.
The authors cite canon 1210 of the Code of Canon Law, which states that in sacred places “only that which serves the exercise and promotion of worship, piety, and religion is to be admitted”, and that anything “foreign to the sanctity of the place” is prohibited.
The letter also points to the symbolic sensitivity of the terrace’s location above areas housing memorials and tombs of major apostolic importance.
Beyond the question of refreshments, the petition draws attention to what it describes as a series of “gravely irreverent acts” reported in recent years within the basilica, including intrusions and offensive gestures near the Altar of the Confession.
Without attributing personal blame, the letter argues that such incidents raise questions about vigilance and the effective protection of the sacred space, obligations also set out in canon law.
The authors of the petition ask Cardinal Parolin to verify the reported facts from a canonical perspective, to consider measures to safeguard the sanctity of the basilica, and to evaluate whether corrective or disciplinary steps are warranted.
They also note that Cardinal Gambetti’s term as archpriest is approaching its expiry and suggest that the question of renewal should be weighed carefully “in light of the good of the faithful and the maximum protection due to the sacred place”.
While St Peter’s Basilica has long made practical provision for pilgrims, including a small refreshment point on the roof level near the cupola used by those climbing the dome, particularly in the summer heat, few have objected to this.
The Church has always understood the need to care for the physical needs of pilgrims, and doing so has never been seen as incompatible with reverence when kept within clear limits.
What has changed is not the existence of a café, but the scale, symbolism and location now under discussion.
Reports that the terrace, an area with extraordinary visual and symbolic prominence, might be further developed for consumption, even in a “sober” form, have caused concern precisely because this space has historically been free from commercial expansion.
It has been perceived as an extension of the basilica’s sacred architecture rather than a neutral viewing platform.
The petition addressed to Cardinal Pietro Parolin frames its concerns in canonical rather than personal terms, citing the Church’s own law on sacred places. Canon law is clear that churches exist for worship, prayer and the promotion of religion, and that anything foreign to their sanctity should be excluded.
These concerns have been sharpened by recent and widely reported acts of desecration within St Peter’s itself, including vandalism and offensive behaviour at the altars. Each incident has caused scandal not simply because of the acts themselves, but because they suggested a failure of vigilance in a place where reverence should be most carefully guarded.
Criticism of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the basilica’s archpriest, has grown alongside these anxieties.
Whether such criticism is fair in every detail is a legitimate question, as the management of St Peter’s is complex and responsibility is widely shared.
Yet it would be a mistake to dismiss the mounting concern as factional or reactionary. Catholics are right to raise questions when the sanctity of their holiest church appears vulnerable, and silence would be a greater failure than protest.