Surprising Christmas Eve Mass for Pope

At the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome this evening, an "apparently unbalanced" woman approached Pope Benedict XVI, 82, and caused him to fall as he entered St Peter's Basilica to celebrate Christmas Eve Mass.

The pilgrim, who apparently intended no harm but only wished to get close to the Pope, vaulted over a security barricade by the central aisle of the basilica as the Pope began leading the traditional procession to the altar, reached him, grabbed his vestments, and evidently caused him to lose his balance, pulling him to the ground.

The woman is in the custody of the Vatican police.

(Here is a link to a more complete report on the incident, with more details: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34588269/ns/world_news-world_faith)

The pontiff quickly recovered and went on to conduct the Mass, his fifth Christmas Eve celebration, without assistance.

French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray also fell in the crush and was given first aid, Vatican press spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., said.

Benedict, in gold and white vestments and mitre, showed no discomfort as he read out his Christmas Eve homily in Italian, 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."

The Timing of the Mass: Two Hours Early

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.

Directly after recovering from the fall, the Pope bore a gold cross in a solemn procession to the altar as the Mass began at 10:00 pm -- not at the traditional 12 o'clock midnight.

Lombardi has said that the change, a Vatican first, was only a "sensible precaution" for the aging pontiff and "no cause for alarm," adding that the German pontiff's health was "absolutely normal" for a man of his age. The move was aimed at making Christmas "a little less tiring for the Pope, who has many engagements during this time," he said.

Notably, Pope Benedict is to deliver his traditional "urbi et orbi" (to the city and to the world) message, broadcast to dozens of countries, at noon on Christmas Day.

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.