Sunday, January 3, 2010

To Show His Benevolence, Pope Has Aide Visit Woman Who Knocked Him Down

Pope Benedict XVI's personal aide visited the mentally disturbed young woman who jumped over a barrier and knocked the pontiff down in St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve, the Buffalo News website reports today (January 3, 2010).

Benedict asked his secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, to pay a call on 25-year-old Susanna Maiolo "to show his interest and benevolence," the Rev. Federico Lombardi said.

Lombardi declined to comment on an Italian newspaper report today that the aide told the woman the pope had forgiven her and gave her a rosary during the December 26 visit.

The visit to the psychiatric clinic in the town of Subiaco near Rome had been made discreetly, and the Vatican had not planned on publicly talking about it until the Italian newspaper report appeared, Lombardi indicated.

Lombardi said, "Every Christian pardons."

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