No, no, the Pope did not have too much “Eggnog” and then fell over. But, instead, was literally knocked out a deranged woman on the televised Christmas Eve mass. Susanna Maiolo, a 25-year–old and mentally unstable Swiss-Italian national, had previously tired to attack the Pope last year. She was not armed since metal detectors are necessary to attend mass, but her presence considering her history raises questions about papal security. Vatican mass tickets are not personalized so there are no background checks for attendees. The Pope was not injured, although the scene was dramatic(87-year–old French cardinal Roger Etchegaray also fell and broke his femur, he is reportedly recovering well in a Rome hospital.):
The 82-year–old, as you just saw, recovered quickly and went with the mass. Apparently, Maiolo was able to grab Benedict’s legs.
by a woman who had sought to assault him a year ago — the Vatican said Friday it would review security procedures, raising the possibility of more stringent public access to the pope, leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics. The assailant, identified by the Vatican as Susanna Maiolo, a 25-year-old Swiss-Italian national with a history of mental problems, was held for questioning and hospitalized in Rome. She was not under formal arrest, and it was unclear whether she would face charges.
The assailant, identified by the Vatican as Susanna Maiolo, a 25-year-old Swiss-Italian national with a history of mental problems, was held for questioning and hospitalized in Rome. She was not under formal arrest, and it was unclear whether she would face charges.
This is the first attack on Pope Benedict since he was inaugurated in 2005 (and two weeks after an attack against another prominent Italian (Benedict is German) - prime minister Berlusconi.)
It was the first high-profile attack on a Pope since the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981 by Mehmet Ali Agca - a Turkish gunman who was forgiven by the Pope and is to be released from Turkish prison next month.
The video highlights the vulnerability of the Pope and the Vatican multilayer security force is said to be reviewing procedures.
