WORLD : Man Seized as He Rushes Pope
Police overpowered a man who rushed toward Pope John Paul II today while the pontiff was distributing Holy Communion at an outdoor Mass, officials said.
The 28-year-old man was detained as he suddenly moved toward the pontiff from his seat 30 feet away at the service in this ancient university town north of Stockholm, police spokesman Ulf Ohlsson said.
The man, who had a ticket to the Mass, was taken away in a police car.
“We are questioning him now but we don’t know yet what he wanted,” Ohlsson said. “Perhaps he wanted to tell the Pope something or even hug him.”
John Paul ends a tour of Nordic countries Saturday.
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