"It was not my intention": Jason Momoa issues apology after Sistine Chapel photos sparks criticism online

American actor Jason Momoa has apologized for taking pictures inside the Sistine Chapel after he was bashed online for doing so.

The 42-year-old star has been shooting in Rome, which surrounds Vatican City, for his forthcoming film Fast And Furious 10: Fast X, and took out some time to take his friends and crewmates of the film for a private viewing of the chappel.

However, after recently sharing images from inside the building on Instagram, Jason Momoa faced criticism from users who pointed out that the public is not generally allowed to take pictures inside.

Jason Momoa apologized for offending people via his actions. He said:

"I would never want to do anything to disrespect someone’s culture. If I did, I apologize. It was not my intention. I paid to have that private moment and gave a nice donation to the church. I love you. I’m sorry if I offended you."

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Jason Momoa faces online outrage over Sistine Chapel photos, actor issues apology

Momoa's pictures from the Sistine Chapel has invited criticism from netizens. Some of them pointed out that the chapel doesn't allow visitors to take photographs inside.

One user commented:

"We, regular people, are not allowed to film inside the Sistine chapel."

Another one wrote:

"We can't take pics but ofc celebrities can. nothing against Jason ( I adore him) but it's not fair."

This prompted the actor to publicly apologize for clicking pictures in the Sistine Chapel. After facing backlash for his pictures, the Game of Thrones star apologized in a video sent to outlet JustJared.

At the beginning of the video, Jason Momoa said he never intended to disrespect anyone's culture.

"I came here when I was 19 or 20 to experience the Sistine Chapel. I’ve always wanted to and now that I can, I gave a wonderful donation to bring my friends and crew because we only had a couple days off to experience these places."

Jason Momoa continued saying that he found some tourists who wanted to take pictures with him and asked the authorities permission for it.

"And then I found people wanted to take pictures with me, which is very odd, during a trip to the Vatican with all this wonder and they want to take pictures with me, which I don’t get, but regardless, I did. I was very respectful and I asked for permission from what I thought, would be okay."

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Why is taking pictures not permitted in the Sistine Chapel?

As per Your Mileage May Vary, the actual cause dates back to 1980, when Vatican officials decided to embark on a large-scale, thorough restoration of Michelangelo's work in the chapel. The price was high.

To help pay for the project, they searched for a third party and the highest bidder was Japan's Nippon Television Network Corporation, which offered $4.2 million for its restoration.

Nippon TV received exclusive image and video rights to the restored art in exchange for sponsoring the repair. All images and videos of the actual restoration process may only be taken by Nippon TV-commissioned photographer Takashi Okamura.

The deal upset the citizens of the Vatican, however, the Nippon photographer clicked on some high-resolution pictures that showcased a mega-detailed peek of work happening behind the restoration, which won the critics over.

As they possessed unique images and video footage of the Sistine Chapel restoration, Nippon TV was able to make multiple documentaries, art publications, and other projects as a result of their agreement with the Vatican.

But the exclusivity wasn't meant to last forever. Technically, photography was only prohibited for three years after each step of rehabilitation was completed. So, if a piece was completed in 1985, pictures may have begun in 1988.

Furthermore, Nippon's exclusive agreement clearly stated that it did not apply to tourists, only professional photographers. But because it's impossible to discern a professional photographer from an amateur hobbyist with a "real" camera, Vatican officials usually just maintain the prohibition applied to everyone.