Pope Knocked Down
As Christmas Eve Mass began in St. Peter's Basilica last night, an unidentified woman leapt over the security barrier, apparently in a wild attempt to embrace the Pope. Although the papal security guards intercepted her with a tackle that would do the NFL proud, the woman caught hold of the Pope's vestments and pulled Benedict down with her.
Then the 82-year-old pontiff went right back to work. After a moment or two on the ground, Pope Benedict got up, to cheers of "Viva il Papa!" and continued his procession down the aisle. The Mass was celebrated without interruption and the Pope's voice was clear and steady as he read the homily. Given that the Christmas Mass had been moved back to 10:00 p.m. to save the Benedict's energy, his stamina and sangfroid surprised many people.
Benedict's attacker suffered no injuries and was taken away by the Gendarmeria, or Vatican police. But things went considerably worse for poor 87-year-old Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, of Paris, who was knocked over along with the Pope, broke his femur and ended up with a wheelchair and plaster cast for Christmas.
Benedict's assailant, who sported a festive scarlet sweater for the occasion, which conveniently made her very easy to spot on hazy video recordings of the encounter, appears to be a repeat offender, according to a Vatican spokesman; last Christmas, he said, the same woman went running for the Pope at the end of Midnight Mass, but was stopped long before she could reach him. The woman is believed to be mentally unstable and will likely be turned over to the Italian authorities. See Chick's THE POOR POPE.
Benedict is not the first Pope to have inspired such a reaction. The late Pope John Paul II also had his fair share of over-zealous admirers, including a religious sister in 2004 who went running down the aisle of St. Peter's before being brought up short by Vatican security right at the altar. (On the other hand, it was another devoted nun who successfully subdued Mehmet Ali Acga, the would-be assassin of John Paul II, after he shot the pope on May 13, 1981.)
Then the 82-year-old pontiff went right back to work. After a moment or two on the ground, Pope Benedict got up, to cheers of "Viva il Papa!" and continued his procession down the aisle. The Mass was celebrated without interruption and the Pope's voice was clear and steady as he read the homily. Given that the Christmas Mass had been moved back to 10:00 p.m. to save the Benedict's energy, his stamina and sangfroid surprised many people.
Benedict's attacker suffered no injuries and was taken away by the Gendarmeria, or Vatican police. But things went considerably worse for poor 87-year-old Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, of Paris, who was knocked over along with the Pope, broke his femur and ended up with a wheelchair and plaster cast for Christmas.
Benedict's assailant, who sported a festive scarlet sweater for the occasion, which conveniently made her very easy to spot on hazy video recordings of the encounter, appears to be a repeat offender, according to a Vatican spokesman; last Christmas, he said, the same woman went running for the Pope at the end of Midnight Mass, but was stopped long before she could reach him. The woman is believed to be mentally unstable and will likely be turned over to the Italian authorities. See Chick's THE POOR POPE.
Benedict is not the first Pope to have inspired such a reaction. The late Pope John Paul II also had his fair share of over-zealous admirers, including a religious sister in 2004 who went running down the aisle of St. Peter's before being brought up short by Vatican security right at the altar. (On the other hand, it was another devoted nun who successfully subdued Mehmet Ali Acga, the would-be assassin of John Paul II, after he shot the pope on May 13, 1981.)
posted by chickcomics | 8:10 PM
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