VATICAN CITY (AFP) - A man posing as a priest was prevented from taking confessions in St Peter's Basilica, Vatican judge Gianluigi Marrone said in an interview published on Saturday.

"He was caught in the basilica when he was trying to take up position in a confessional," Marrone told the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano, saying the incident occurred "some time ago."

"He was wearing a priest's uniform, but our personnel's expert eye didn't take long to perceive some strange behaviour," said Marrone, the sole judge of the Vatican City state.

The man's papers appeared in order, but he "wasn't convincing," Marrone said, adding that "a crosscheck with the Italian authorities" revealed that he had attempted the same ruse in Italy.

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