May the Lord preserve him

Someone tried to attack the Pope today during the General Audience. Here is the footage:



Other video clips:
Corriere della Sera
La Reppublica

The official version seems to be that the chap was mentally unstable and that there was no deliberate attempt on the life of the Holy Father. Fr Z. is not so sure (Hopping mad at the Vatican) and the Curt Jester has a funny take on the incident where the Pope gives a "clarification" of the remarks of the press secretary.

Having seen at first hand the close security surrounding the visit of the Queen to Bexley, it struck me that the Holy Father allows himself to be vulnerable to this sort of incident far more regularly in order for the faithful to be close to him. He needs our constant prayers. The traditional prayer for the Pope seems quite apt in the circumstances:
Let us pray for our Most Holy Father, Pope Benedict. May the Lord preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. Amen

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