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| Pope gives address after assault | Pope gives address after assault |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Pope Benedict has delivered his traditional Christmas message at the Vatican, hours after a woman leapt at him and dragged him to the ground. | Pope Benedict has delivered his traditional Christmas message at the Vatican, hours after a woman leapt at him and dragged him to the ground. |
| The Pope spoke in a firm voice in front of thousands of pilgrims, appearing undaunted by the earlier incident. | The Pope spoke in a firm voice in front of thousands of pilgrims, appearing undaunted by the earlier incident. |
| He said the Church was a "source of unity" for many people across the world and called for those in conflict zones to show respect for one another. | He said the Church was a "source of unity" for many people across the world and called for those in conflict zones to show respect for one another. |
| The Vatican said the woman who jumped at the Pope had been taken to hospital. | |
| Vatican officials said she appeared to be mentally unstable, and that she had attempted to get to the Pope at the same event last year. | Vatican officials said she appeared to be mentally unstable, and that she had attempted to get to the Pope at the same event last year. |
| French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, who was standing a few metres away, fell and broke his hip during the incident. | |
| The assault took place as the pontiff was about to celebrate Christmas Eve Mass at St Peter's Basilica. | |
| The BBC's David Willey, in Rome, says the Vatican is trying its best to play down the incident. | |
| But our correspondent says the Pope's security is a very difficult issue as the pontiff has to interact with the congregation and many Catholics would be angry if he was only ever seen from behind a screen. | |
| The 82-year-old pontiff made no mention of the incident during his Christmas message. | |
| Instead he focused on the world's needy and praised the work of the Church in places like the Philippines, Korea and Sri Lanka. | |
| He deplored the continuing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spoke of the problems facing people in Madagascar, Guinea, Niger and Honduras. | |
| He then wished pilgrims a happy Christmas in 65 languages - to delighted cheers from the crowd. |