VATICAN CITY

Pope Benedict XVI was knocked down by a woman at the start of Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The 82-year-old pontiff got up unhurt and proceeded as planned with Thursday’s service. A video was obtained by The Associated Press where they saw a woman dressed in a red hooded sweat shirt vaulting over the wooden barriers that cordoned off the basilica’s main aisle and rushing toward the pope before being swarmed by bodyguards. The pope lost his miter and his staff in the fall, he was helped by his attendants, some people shouted “viva il papa!” (Long live the pope!) while he tried to stand up.

Rev. Ciro Benedettini, the Vatican spokesman said that the woman appeared to be mentally unstable and had been taken into custody by Vatican police. According to him, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, was attacked by the same woman. It was the second year in a row that there had been a security breach at the Christmas Eve service and this was the most serious incident involving the public in Benedict’s five-year papacy.