Man tries to jump into Popemobile

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A German man tried to jump into Pope Benedict XVI's uncovered Popemobile as the Pontiff began his general audience and held onto it for a few seconds before being wrestled to the ground by security officers.



The Pope was not hurt and did not even appear to notice that the man had jumped over the protective barrier in the square and had grabbed onto the white Popemobile as it drove by. The Pontiff kept waving to the crowd and did not even look back.


At least eight security officers, who were trailing the vehicle as it moved slowly through the square, grabbed the man and wrestled him to the ground.


The man was a 27-year-old German who showed signs of "mental imbalance", said the Rev Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman.

"His aim was not an attempt on the Pope's life but to attract attention to himself," Lombardi said.


The man, whom Lombardi declined to identify, was interrogated by Vatican police and then taken to a hospital for psychiatric treatment, he said.

The man wore a pink T-shirt and dark shorts, a beige baseball cap and sunglasses. He vaulted up and over the barricade from the second or third row back. He got as far as the back of the vehicle, holding onto it for a few seconds, before being wrestled to the ground.

The Popemobile kept moving, and the German-born Benedict kept waving, then proceeded with the audience as if nothing had happened.

Since the September 11, 2001, attacks, the Vatican has tightened security in St. Peter's Square when the Pope is present. All visitors must pass by police to get into the square, with some walking through metal detectors or being searched with metal-detecting wands.

Nevertheless, virtually anyone can attend the audience. While tickets are required, they can often be obtained at the last minute - particularly in good weather when the audience is held outside in the piazza.

Courtesy from AOL