(January 14, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI met on Wednesday with the woman who knocked
him over at St. Peter's Basilica during Christmas Eve Mass, and he forgave her, the
Vatican said. Susanna Maiolo, a 25-year-old with a history of psychiatric problems,
and her family met in a private audience with the pope at the end of his general audience,
Vatican spokes person, the Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi said. Maiolo told the pontiff
she was sorry for what had happened, while Pope Benedict inquired about her health
and wanted to demonstrate his forgiveness, Lombardi said in a statement. The Vatican
said no photos or video would be released of the meeting. Maiolo, a Swiss-Italian
national, jumped a security barricade in St. Peter's Basilica at the start of Christmas
Eve Mass and pulled Pope Benedict down when a security guard tackled her. The pope
was unhurt. Maiolo had tried to reach the pope in the same way during the 2008 Midnight
Mass service but didn't manage to get to him. She has been treated at a clinic outside
Rome since the incident. While there, she received a visit from Pope Benedict's personal
secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, who had wanted to show the pontiff's concern
for her well-being, the Vatican said at the time. The Vatican investigation into the
incident continues, Father Lombardi said. A retired Vatican diplomat, French Cardinal
Roger Etchegaray, fractured his hip in the commotion and had to undergo surgery. Pope
Benedict's decision to meet with Maiolo and forgive her follows a similar gesture
by Pope John Paul II.