罗马教皇平安夜不平安 主持弥撒被撞倒
Pope's Christmas Eve mass marred by fall
Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the Christmas night holy mass at St. Peter's Basilica at Vatican to mark the nativity of Jesus Christ. Papal bodyguards overpowered a woman who rushed at Pope Benedict XVI, yanking him to the ground Thursday as he entered St Peter's Basilica to celebrate Christmas Eve mass.
An "apparently unbalanced" woman approached Pope Benedict XVI and caused him to fall Thursday as he entered St Peter's Basilica to celebrate Christmas Eve mass, the Vatican spokesman said. The pilgrim got past a security barricade by the central aisle of the vast basilica as the pope began leading the traditional procession to the altar, Father Federico Lombardi told reporters. The woman is in the custody of the Vatican police, the ANSA news agency reported, adding that she apparently meant no harm. The 82-year-old pontiff quickly recovered and went on to conduct the mass without assistance, but the incident marred the pontiff's fifth celebration of the event commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. However, French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray fell ill in the crush and was given first aid, Lombardi said. Benedict, in gold and white vestments and mitre, showed no discomfort as he read out his Christmas Eve homily, decrying selfishness, which he said "makes us prisoners of our interests and our desires that stand against the truth and separate us from one another. "Conflict and lack of reconciliation in the world stem from the fact that we are locked into our own interests and opinions, into our own little private world," the spiritual leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics said in Italian. Benedict has had no notable health problems since his 2005 election apart from a fractured wrist from a fall in July while holidaying in northern Italy. Four years before he became pope however, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger spent nearly a month in hospital following a brain haemorrhage, according to the German daily Bild. It said he has suffered from fainting spells. Thursday's incident occurred amid concern over the pope's health prompted by a Vatican decision to schedule the mass two hours early this year instead of the traditional midnight hour due to the pontiff's advanced age.
mass: the celebration of the Eucharist(<尤指罗马天主教的>弥撒)
basilica:a Christian church building of a similar design, having a nave with a semicircular apse, two or four side aisles, a narthex, and a clerestory(大教堂,长方形基督教堂)
altar:an elevated place or structure before which religious ceremonies may be enacted or upon which sacrifices may be offered(基督教教堂内的圣坛)
pontiff:any pontifex(罗马教皇,主教)
mar:to damage or spoil to a certain extent; render less perfect, attractive, useful, etc.; impair or spoil(弄坏,毁坏)
first aid:emergency aid or treatment given to someone injured, suddenly ill, etc.(对伤者的急救)
vestment:an official or ceremonial robe(制服,法衣)
mitre:the official headdress of a bishop in the Western Church(主教法冠)
homily:a sermon, usually on a Biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature(布道,说教) |