VATICAN

Pope Attacker Struck Before

Same woman behind incident last year.

The string of bad luck encountered by world leaders in Italy continued Thursday as Pope Benedict XVI was knocked down by a woman jumping the crowd barriers in St. Peter's, while he walked down the aisle to say Christmas Eve Mass. The pontiff arose quickly and was unhurt, according to the Vatican; the woman, Swiss and Italian citizen Susanna Maiolo, 25, is said to be mentally unstable. However, a cardinal's leg was broken during the scuffle. This was the second year in a row that such an event has occurred and the previous time involved Maiolo as well: At the end of the Mass last year, she jumped the barriers and came near the pope before being blocked by security.