www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Pope Benedict & Cardinal Roger Etchegaray knocked to ground

AP - 40 mins ago

VATICAN CITY – A woman jumped the barriers in St. Peter's Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI as he walked down the main aisle to begin Christmas Eve Mass on Thursday.

The 82-year-old pope quickly got up and was unhurt, said a Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini. Footage aired on Italy's RAI state TV showed a woman dressed in a red jumper vaulting over the wooden barriers and rushing the pope before being swarmed by bodyguards.

The commotion occurred as the pope's procession was making its way toward the main altar and shocked gasps rang out through the public that packed the basilica. The procession came to a halt and security rushed to the trouble spot.

Benedettini said the woman who pushed the pope appeared to be mentally unstable and had been arrested by Vatican police. He said she also knocked down Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who was taken to hospital for a check up.

"During the procession an unstable person jumped a barrier and knocked down the Holy Father," Benedettini told The Associated Press by telephone. "(The pope) quickly got up and continued the procession."

After the incident, Benedict, flanked by tense bodyguards, resumed his walk to the basilica's main altar to start the Mass. He did appear somewhat shaken and leaned heavily on aides and an armrest as he sat down in his chair.

Benedict made no reference to the incident as the service started. As a choir sang, he sprinkled incense on the altar before opening the Mass with the traditional wish for peace in Latin: "Pax vobis" ("Peace be with you"). The faithful responded: "Et cum spiritu tuo" ("And also with you").

It was the second year in a row there was a security breach at the service. At the end of last year's Mass a woman who had jumped the barriers got close to the pope but was quickly blocked on the ground by security.

Benedettini said it was not immediately known if the same woman was behind Thursday's incident.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091224/ap_on_re_eu/eu_vatican_christmas

Thank goodness the Pope is okay. And hopefully His Eminence is as well. I was watching and my heart dropped to my stomach as I saw some sort of commotion going on.

You know, if His Holiness were sitting atop a sedia gestatoria, no one could knock him down..

Alexis

I was watching it live on tv when it happened. I saw a bunch of men in black suits run down the aisle from the main altar , my heart dropped and I heard a bunch of noise. Thank Lord he was ok.

Prayers for the Holy Father!

The Pope is OK. Cardinal Etchegeray has broken hip. Prayers.

Cardinal Etchegeray is 87 years old. Broken hip will probably mean grave consequences. Again, prayers for the Pope and the Cardinal.

Prayers for all involved. Prayers for all who were present. Prayers for the safety of Pope Benedict and all clergy.

Remember the Cardinal and all who walk the way of our Good Shepherd as you unwrap your candy canes this Christmastide.

Prayers for healing for the Cardinal.
Prayers of thanks to our newborn Lord whom we celebrate today that Pope Benedict is okay...

(I feel it was not truly the mentally unstable woman that wished to knock him down, but the evil one working through her)

This is my belief also.

AMEN!

...As the young woman vaulted over the rail and lunged at the Pope, those in the immediate area naturally gasped in surprise. But then complete silence fell over the entire basilica. We all remarked afterward how the reaction was so different than one usually experiences when something occurs in a crowd, typically a loud buzzing moving through the crowd as people describe what they had seen and discuss what it means and what may happen next. Instead, other than some whispering, everyone was prayerful and quiet, waiting for what seemed like a considerable time but instead proved to be only a couple of minutes. Cheers then rang out when he resumed his entrance.

When the Pope continued up the aisle, passing by our row, he did not look to be greatly shaken and returned to nodding and smiling at the worshipers gathered. The rest of the service was so beautiful and meaningful that we had nearly forgotten the interruption at the beginning by the time the Mass ended. The Holy Father recessed down the aisle, stopping to greet children in the congregation, before proceeding to the manger scene for the placement of the baby Jesus. While the eight of us will always remember that we happened to be there for the unfortunate incident, the focus of our conversation and attention afterward was on the Mass and the meaning of Christmas... Pope's fall [salesianity.blogspot.com]

I saw the video on the American Papist website. The woman was coiled up to pounce immediately prior to the incident. As the security tackled her, she grabbed the Holy Father's chasuble and pulled him down on top of her.

At first I was against the Sedia, but hearing the history behind it and the extra litter bearers (or what ever they are called) and the 2 or 3 various forms of personal guards who surround the Sedia, I now think that this ancient practice should never have been abolished.

[Linked Image]

With all those men surrounding the Holy Father, an incident like this could have been prevented.

So what was wrong with that lady again?

Was she just crazy?

Deacon Borislav,

It appears that she has a history of mental instability.

Many years,

Neil

It appears likely now that the Pope will not be pressing charges: Vatican leans toward clemency for Pope's attacker [catholicculture.org]