A man rammed a car though the gates of the Vatican as police opened fire during Pope Francis' dinner time.
The driver, who is understood to have psychiatric problems, sped past Swiss Guards into a palace courtyard before being apprehended by police, the Holy See said.
Vatican gendarmes fired a shot at the speeding car's front tyres after it rushed the gate, but the vehicle managed to continue on its way, the Vatican press office said in a statement late on Thursday.
