The 46-year-old Irishman had been enjoying a naked stroll through the scenic countryside near Chateaufort, in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, on Monday, when local police stopped him and gave him a talking to.
His naturist rambling had evidently upset some female members of the nearby "Congregation of Saint Jean", a Catholic priory which describes itself as "a place of peace and prayer in the heart of the mountains”.
“At around 6pm, he was walking down the road naked, which disturbed some of our sisters,” Brother Cornelius from the congregation in Chateaufort told The Local on Tuesday.
“Eventually the police were called, and he went his own way,” he added.
According to a police source quoted by French daily Le Populaire, the nudist apologized for the upset he had caused, and explained he had thought he was completely alone and “was just trying to enjoy the beautiful hillsides in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.”
The unclothed Irishman, however, appears to have been a highly spiritual individual in his own right, according to Brother Cornelius.
“A little later on in the evening, he had put his clothes back on and actually returned to the priory. He came to the chapel and prayed for a while with us,” he said.
“He told us that walking around naked makes him feel closer to nature, or something like that. He asked if he could stay with us last night, but we refused,” Brother Cornelius concluded.
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