(ANSA) - Vatican City, December 19 - A man who lit himself on fire in St Peter's Square on Thursday is in critical condition, the Vatican press office said. At around 8:30 local time the 51-year-old covered himself in gasoline from a bottle and set himself alight. The first person to come to his aid was a Jesuit priest, who through his frock and jacket on top of him. Soon two police officers arrived and put out the flames with a fire extinguisher. The motives for the unidentified man's act are unknown. At the scene of the fire, police found a piece of paper with his daughter's phone number written on it. The case recalled another case 15 years ago when Alfredo Ormando, a gay man, set himself ablaze in St Peter's Square to protest the Church's stance on homosexuality. He died days later.