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After Midnight Mass Papal Tackle, Should Barriers Go Up? Hint: This Is Italy
Posted:
12/25/09
ROME -- 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.
Those attending papal Masses often describe their energy to that of a rock concert, even as multiple hours tick by while people pass through security and fill up the 13,000 available seats. Then, without a warm-up band or an emcee, all the lights suddenly go on and the cheering starts. Even normally staid and severe nuns jump on chairs and start snapping pictures. Throngs press against the barriers for a closer look and a few audacious parents thrust babies over the barriers towards the Holy Father. It's even somewhat understandable that one might lose one's head and try to "jump the stage" -- not so unlike the ecstatic groupies who climbed the rafters at Fenway Park for the 2005 concert of the nearly Benedict-age Rolling Stones.
Unlike the hapless Stones lover who broke two ankles and a wrist, Benedict's fan suffered no injuries and was taken away by the Gendarmeria, or Vatican police, who have identified her as Susanna Maiolo, a 25-year-old Swiss-Italian national with a history of mental problems. 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, is 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.
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.)
Ironically, the Benedict breach took place the same day that the Pope received a letter from Italian Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi thanking him for his good wishes after a similar incident in which Berlusconi suffered a fractured nose and two broken teeth. Just two weeks ago, Berlusconi was attacked by a 42-year-old man, Massimo Tartaglia, who hurled an alabaster replica of Milan's Gothic cathedral into Berlusconi's face. Berlusconi's attacker also suffers from mental problems, according to authorities.
These two incidents have naturally provoked serious security concerns and a lively national debate about whether Italian and Vatican security should be tightened. Should visitors be subjected to more rigorous checks? This Rome-based Italian American doesn't think so. Italians love life more than most, and while physical well-being means as much to them as to anyone, this is a culture that values proximity -- to works of art, famous figures, and each other as we cram into our favorite cafés. This is the land of baci, not barriers, and neither fan nor foe will ever change that.
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Elizabeth Lev
Elizabeth Lev is an art historian and writer based in Rome, where all of her three children were born... moreRelated Articles
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Comments (31)
splishdripper
9:59AM Dec 25th 2009
I heard that the Kansas City Chiefs are interested in her. Who's her agent?
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(0) 
brandonmil3
1:28PM Dec 25th 2009
Wonder if she used Dwight Freeny's spin move! LOL
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(0) SAMRAM
10:16AM Dec 25th 2009
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
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(0) sieben13
11:47AM Dec 25th 2009
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Nothing else needs to be said
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Nothing else needs to be said
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
(0) denisaaa
11:22AM Dec 25th 2009
this Pope of ours seems alittle off or different.... miss John Paul dearly. THis one is like Obama not quite sure about him something isnt on course....
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(-4) sieben13
11:46AM Dec 25th 2009
The sad part is there are NO PIlls to help you,what you have there is NO CURE "IGNORANCE"
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(0) jfca440
12:20PM Dec 25th 2009
"This pope is a little off" is right. All religious heads, (popes, priets, pastors, rabbis et al) are nothing more than parasites, feeding off the guilt and fear imposed upon the masses by religious doctrine. This is true of all religions, bar none. These vampires are always aware that they are just an eyelash away from being tarred and feathered and run out of town. I am sure that they live in constant fear of being found out for the decievers they are.
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(-10) fload46d
11:30AM Dec 25th 2009
Long live the Holy Father. Thank God they got the crazy lady.
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(5)
(5) lstr32
6:34PM Dec 25th 2009
Long live the holy father? You do realize the Holy Father is God and not some man don't you?
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(-3) vegabyrd
11:45AM Dec 25th 2009
Just an ordinary man saved by the Blood OF JESUS
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(-2) phoenixpiano
11:46AM Dec 25th 2009
Personally, I think this woman deserves a medal. She's got the right idea.
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(-6) Amy
12:04PM Dec 25th 2009
You must not be playing with a full deck, if you think the Pope deserves to be knocked down like that. You need to be commited.
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(8) Kelly
11:58AM Dec 25th 2009
WATERBOARD HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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(-4) pxamerican3
12:09PM Dec 25th 2009
I bet you that the lady that tackled the pope was an agent for the Vatican. Everything was staged in order to erect the bullet-proof glass barriers to protect the pope in the future. Yep, the next pope may be the agent of the evil. We shall see.
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(-10) sfhotone69
12:10PM Dec 25th 2009
Hmmm, Pope bowling is in! He is a nasty, evil hypocrite. "Holy Father?", I believe that Jesus said our Father is in heaven. Who is this fake?
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(-10) a2948
12:32PM Dec 25th 2009
Amen brother.
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(-6) kerrytoss1
1:25PM Dec 25th 2009
Wait! Wait! I have a father and so do you!!!!!!!!!!! Your bible must be wacked if you can't call your father by the title "father." It doesn't mean your father is G_d. Catholics can call the POPE "father because he is the father of the church. When Christians like you die, you have to explain yourself. It"s horrible, horrible, horrible of you to say I can't call my dad "father." I guess the devil is working overtime on you Christians who bash the pope because you can't read the bible right.
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(5) weezee
12:17PM Dec 25th 2009
The Pope is so cute. I don't understand why anyone would want to attack an old man.
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(6) Waldo
12:32PM Dec 25th 2009
some one's on the naughty list
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(5) Spirit
12:32PM Dec 25th 2009
Yet - somehow there is something vaguely familiar about the story...something biblical like a widow demanding justice or a mother demanding healing for a child...
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