Pope knocked down by woman at Christmas Mass

[Bluebear]

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, hooded sweat shirt vaulting over the wooden barriers and rushing toward the pope before being swarmed by bodyguards.

Video shot by a witness showed the woman grabbing the pope's vestments as she was taken down, with Benedict seemingly falling on top of her.

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

Whatever, lady!

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. I guess moving that midnight mass up to 10 PM really pissed some people off

But knocking down an 83 year old man (let alone one alleged to be the earthly representative of God Himself) seems like a bit of an extreme reaction.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. I guess every country has it's share of nuts.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

5. But only one has a Pope

I don't know the lady, but I'll bet the Pope is nuttier.

[doc03]

3. Why doesn't God protect the Pope from harm? n/t

[emilyg]

8. He did.

Pope was not hurt.

[doc03]

9. How about the time the Pope was shot? Oh that's

right he wasn't killed so God saved him.

[emilyg]

12. You got it.

[TexasObserver]

30. Why would he?

If thousands starve a day, why should God care about a powerful leader whose entire life has been lived in luxury at the expense of poorer people? I hope no one really believes God cares any more for the Pope than he or she or it does about anyone else in the world.

[donheld]

39. Why doesn't God protect the people from the pope?

[Dr. Strange]

4. The Vatican needs a better offensive line.

I've seen better blocking at a pee-wee game.

[peekaloo]

31. The Cardinals have been shaky this year.

:hide:

[Fuzz]

33. Heh

[Enrique]

6. he should do commercials for Axe body spray n/t

[Moochy]

7. It had to his ruby slippers, G

:rofl: axe body spray.

[kestrel91316]

10. Was it an atheist DUer?

[sakabatou]

13. Not funny

[kestrel91316]

32. Hahaha, DU has more than its share of rabid atheists who I can definitely

see pulling a vicious stunt like this.

Of course, it has its share of religious wackos, too.

[Fuzz]

34. Um, right.

[sakabatou]

38. Uh-huh...

[Zynx]

37. Why not?

[gleaner]

11. Does anyone know why .....

she did it? Who knows. Maybe her red sweat shirt was possessed.:evilfrown: I saw the headline, but I didn't read the article. I thought he might have just tipped over or have been accidentally knocked down in a crowd. I guess he can't say everyone forgot him, though.

[Bluebear]

15. Dunno. He NEEDS to be knocked down, but metaphorically.

[PeaceNikki]

17. Yes.

While I am glad he's not injured, I can't feel bad about this.

[gleaner]

26. Doesn't break my heart either n/t

[gleaner]

27. Agreed ...

My husband told me that last year a woman dressed in read had tried to attack the Pope, but was stopped by his guards before she could get to him. Maybe the same woman.

[JI7]

18. i think she is mentally ill

[PeaceNikki]

19. The Vatican said that. To them "mentally ill" is probably gay or female.

[gleaner]

28. Or didn't have her coffee n/t

[niyad]

25. perhaps she is the mother of one of the boys assaulted by a priest, since ratzi has been one of the

people instrumental in hiding these priests, and covering up the assaults.

[FarLeftFist]

14. God is dead.

[IndianaGreen]

16. 'A woman!' the Pope shrieked in horror

Nazi pig!

[Va Lefty]

20. My only question... Is the three knockdown rule in effect?

[Vinnie From Indy]

21. Is that like cow tipping? Pope tipping?

eom

[Gregorian]

22. Can the pope be milked?

I've now used my 2009 quota of puerile pope posts.

[wuushew]

23. video

[niyad]

24. thanks for the video

[Fuzz]

35. Mrs. Claus?

[TexasObserver]

29. Was she angry about his role in the holocaust?

Or was it his role in repressing millions of women and gays?

Or was it his role in suppressing the evidence of the Church's guilt in the rampant sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests which drove her anger?

He's the former Nazi who covered up crimes against the Church's children, but she's the one with mental problems?

[UTUSN]

36. Was it the mother of the little boy he was French-kissing the other day?!1 n/t

[PeaceNikki]

40. Bennie got run over by a woman, while saying the Mass on Christmas Eve

...♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

I snagged that from someone else. This story was posted on NPR's Facebook page and it turned into an awesome flamefest.

[dembotoz]

41. now that is funny