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Pope knocked down by woman at Christmas Mass

Melensdad

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Pope knocked down by woman at Christmas Mass

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

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, 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.

Benedict made no reference to the incident as the service started. As a choir sang, he sprinkled incense on the main altar before opening the service 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.
:sad:
 

bczoom

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I'm a bit surprised that someone didn't intercept her before she could reach him.
 

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
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Not to at all condone the actions of this disturbed woman, but I have had to take a close look at several of the "major" religions lately and the more I see, the more I am uncomfortable. I won't put them on the spot, but a couple of years ago I had a conversation, or several conversations, with a member here about the Catholic religion. I know it will disappoint some, but I have to admit that there is quite a bit about even the Catholic religion that I feel is counter-productive to someone who reads the bible and opts to live their live as best they can by following the teachings in the bible. Whether it's due to the advancement in instant communications or what, several religions seem to be getting exposed in ways that are not easily explained by any of their proclaimed beliefs.

I'll stick my head out and quote the oft repeated phrase that "Islam" has been hijacked by radicals. Really? Has it? I see no mass rising up of hundreds of millions of people to 'reclaim' their religion. I realize that it's regional etc., but a few years ago when the last Pope passed away, many Catholics worshiped him far beyond what I feel is prudent. Others attributed "great speeches" and "wonderful services" to him when it was clear that time and failing health had rendered his body unable to have done so. He was a great man, and a great man of the cloth, but he was only a man.

I could go on and go into hundreds of 'problems' the Mormon Church deals with and sweeps under the rug on a daily basis. The Mormon followers sure seem to be good people, but they seem to be mostly people desperately grasping at a desire to believe in something rather than any one of the couple thousand revisions of the Book of Mormon. Any leader of the Mormon Church is considered to be a prophet. Unfortunately, there are literally thousands of "prophesies" that have been false. Their founder Joseph Smith and Brigham Young both went into great detail describing the people who inhabit the moon in their writings. They went so far as described the men on the moon as averaging near six feet in height, and dressing quite uniformly in something near the Quaker style. As science progressed and hundreds and thousands of prophesies were clearly proven false, the Mormon printing presses went into high gear rewriting the Book of Mormon.

I'm sorry to upset some, but simply approaching many of the larger organized religions with an open mind requires one to not ask questions on many levels. Actually, many forbid questions to be asked. I can honestly say that I've read the King James version of the Bible twice; no more, no less. If I am to take that book as gospel, many religions must be considered untrue. I guess I'm writing this tonight, on Christmas eve, not as any endorsement of becoming an atheist but rather as a challenge to celebrate this joyous holiday as what you know in your heart to be true, not what a packaged religion would have you believe. Believe in what you know to be true. Celebrate life, love and family. Too many 'packaged' religions now want to be placed above your own family. I can't do that. That does not ring true to me. Celebrate the holidays in peace and remember what is important and what we are celebrating.

Merry Christmas!
 
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