82 Year-Old Pope Benedict Attacked, Knocked Down at Midnight Mass (Video) …Update: Same Nut Tried to Attack Pope in 2008
Posted by Jim Hoft on Thursday, December 24, 2009, 4:40 PM
A crazed woman jumped the barriers at St. Peter’s Basilica and attacke 82 year-old Pope Benedict XVI at Midnight Mass knocking him to the floor.
Vatican security officials rush to protect Pope Benedictus XVI after he was attacked at Midnight Mass today.
BBC video
The AP reported:
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, a Vatican spokesman said.
The Rev. Ciro Benedettini said the 82-year-old pope quickly got up and was unhurt. As the pope’s procession was making its way toward the main altar gasps rang out through the public and a commotion could be seen among the clergymen surrounding Benedict. The procession came to a halt and bodyguards 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 calmly resumed his walk to the basilica’s main altar to start the Mass.
Here is a better look at the crazy woman who took down the pope:
UPDATE: This same nut tried to attack the pope in 2008.
FOX News reported:
French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, an 87-year-old Vatican diplomat, fractured his hip in the commotion and will be operated on at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said.
Benedict appeared a bit unsteady as he approached his chair on the loggia overlooking St. Peter’s Square to deliver his traditional Christmas blessing and was steadied by an attendant.
But he then spread open his arms, blessed the crowd and delivered his “Urbi et Orbi” speech, Latin for “To the city and the world,” without any problem. He followed with Christmas greetings in 65 different languages that drew sustained cheers and chants from the crowd…
Lombardi identified the woman who toppled Benedict as Susanna Maiolo, 25, a Swiss-Italian national with psychiatric problems. He said Maiolo, who was not armed, was taken to a clinic for necessary treatment.
She was the same woman involved in a similar incident at last year’s Midnight Mass, Vatican officials said. In that case, Maiolo jumped the barricade but never managed to reach the pope and was quietly tackled by security.
You’d think they would have kept an eye out for this crazed woman before the service. You’d think.
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John Corn commented:
How do we know she was unstable. She may have been an American Liberal; then again, that category is a mental illness.
AuntieMadder commented:
John Corn
December 24th, 2009 | 4:46 pm | #1
One and the same, John Corn. One and the same.
Beto commented:
Has anyone verified the whereabouts of Nancy Pelosi?
Just askin’
1 commented:
The same thing happened last year. He needs better security.
willis commented:
It’s his outfit. It clashed with hers.
shibumi commented:
It has been an insane year.
Glad the Pope is OK; he does need better security.
Babsy commented:
A violent right winger no doubt! A leftist you say? But leftists toil for peace, tolerance and equality! Say it isn’t so! Oh, the HUMANITY!!!
Mike in Chicago commented:
I heard she was 6′ 4″ and looked like James Brown. But I thought the first couple was on their way to Hawaii.
Firehand commented:
Even the Swiss Guard can’t be in the way all the time
ar05075 commented:
Beto
December 24th, 2009 | 4:56 pm | #3
Has anyone verified the whereabouts of Nancy Pelosi?
Just askin’
===========================
She was getting botox injections.
Don commented:
Wonder if she belongs to CODE PINK?
Raoul Ortega commented:
So where has Sinead O’Connor been recently?
Chris Cringle commented:
Crazed woman? Was it Nancy Pelosi?
LL commented:
The Swiss Guards are slipping…
I read the comments of others, blasting those of opposing political views in connection with this attack on the Pope. (shame on you)
I do not share the Pope’s faith, however I do appreciate that there is one time of year in The West where we share a hope of peace on Earth and good will toward men. This lady (and many of you) seem to feel that is not the case. Still, hope remains. And I wish you a Merry Christmas.
chai commented:
LL, it seems that many of “those of opposing political views” are all for abortion, and the Pope and the Catholic Church are opposed to abortion, which, after all is murder.
Merry Christmas…. and peace on earth…
Francesca commented:
LL: That woman is no lady!
No Man commented:
Unverified eyewitness reports state the harpie shrieked, “Birther, right-wing militia, aryan brotherhood, racist, . . . “
Mike in Chicago commented:
“I do not share the Pope’s faith, however I do appreciate that there is one time of year in The West where we share a hope of peace on Earth and good will toward men. This lady (and many of you) seem to feel that is not the case. Still, hope remains. And I wish you a Merry Christmas.”
You’re wrong. I do.
Now shut up.
jainphx commented:
This lady (and many of you) seem to feel that is not the case. Still, hope remains. And I wish you a Merry Christmas.”
This doesn’t make sense, what were you trying to say.
MVH commented:
“Lady?” “Gentleman?” What is it when people won’t call a spade a spade?
Just about two weeks ago an a man was speeding; he hit and dragged a pedestrian for almost a mile. When the guy was finally caught, the idiot police spokeshole referred to the driver as, “the gentleman.”
The driver ignored other drivers and pedestrians efforts to point out that he was dragging a human being! The “gentleman” ended up killing the victim.
These creeps shouldn’t be called “ladies” nor “gentlemen.” Ladies & Gentlemen don’t bad things to others. Sane or not! It cheapens the meaning of the words.
reliapundit commented:
1ST BERLUSCONI AND NOW THE PONTIFF!?
WTF IS WRONG WITH ITALY?
paul commented:
Those Papal Groupies can get really crazy from time to time.
crypticguise commented:
My wife and I attended Christmas Eve Mass this evening and felt the love of His presence with us all there. Jesus Christ is born and His love will Save Humanity.
Pray for your neighbor/s, your family and those less fortunate in the world.
Merry Christmas Everyone.
Snake Eater commented:
Another day another deranged leftist and Obama sycophant going on a rampage.
thetimman commented:
They treated Christ the same way.
I suppose my faith prevents me from wishing this person to have been bludgeoned to a state of unconsciousness by somebody nearby. Ah, fortunately for her, it is the time of peace, and so may she spend her twenty years in jail, unbruised.
Richard Romano commented:
How sick is this? Attacking an 82 year old man? I hope and pray Pope Benedict is well and this didn’t harm him.
averagemelon commented:
I wonder what harm she thought the Pope was doing for her to stop?
I continue to pray with hope in my heart.
Don Gordon Bell commented:
Two things, first yes it has been confirmed to be the same woman and video of the first attempt show she actually was wearing a RED top AGAIN.
Second, if you watch couple of times, she made her move very quickly and in a split second a security man was intercepting her. He tried to grab her but she managed to reach out and grab hold of the Pope’s garments. The security man goes down with the woman holding on and pulling the Pope down on top of them.
There should be twice as many around him, and they should put her away for good. In Iran if this happened to an Imam or Ayatollah the crowd would have…well you know the rest.
locomotivebreath1901 commented:
Wowser.
I bet there’ll be a death FATWA issued against that woman today.
Oh. Wait….
.
Lee commented:
The attack on the USA by the Bolsheviks who run the USA is much worse.