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Is Pope Francis’ ‘Unpredictable’ Behavior Creating Security Concerns?

Mar. 20, 2013 11:25pm Billy Hallowell

VATICAN CITY (TheBlaze/AP) — Forgive Pope Francis’ security team for looking a bit nervous, but the pontiff’s behavior is apparently creating some concerns. In the end, it’s all about safety.

After all, one pope was shot in St. Peter’s Square while riding in an open vehicle. Another was tackled by a woman with mental problems in St. Peter’s Basilica. So in the early days of Francis’ pontificate, as the pope delights the flock by wading into crowds and pressing the flesh, it’s only natural that chief Vatican cop Domenico Giani seems on edge.

Just consider some of Francis’ acts of papal outreach, which have all made for a refreshing change from the reserved style of his predecessor Benedict XVI, but present a huge headache for a security detail attached to one of the planet’s most high-profile people.

Is Pope Francis Unpredictable Behavior Creating Security Concerns?

In this photo released by Brazil’s Presidency, Pope Francis, right, talks with Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Credit: AP

The day after his election, Francis eschewed the Vatican’s armored limousine and traveled through the chaotic streets of Rome in an ordinary car to pick up his things at a downtown hotel.

At his first Sunday Mass as pontiff, Francis caused a stir by mingling with bystanders at a Vatican gate, shaking hands and even allowing himself to be grabbed by the shoulder, all while people jostled to get closer.

Then on inauguration day, Francis stood for nearly 30 minutes Tuesday in an open vehicle that circled the vast square, kissing babies handed up to him and at one point jumping out to bless and kiss a disabled man in the crowd.

It’s not for nothing that Francis has quickly been dubbed the `’unpredictable” pope. And for a bodyguard, unpredictable means trouble.

Giani looked particularly worried by the crowd that gathered after the Sunday Mass. La Stampa newspaper quoted an aide at the scene as saying that things “better get back to normal or we’re in trouble.”

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said last week that the Vatican was well aware of Francis’ informal and open style and that “proper security measures” would be taken, even if that hasn’t happened immediately.

Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (L) approaches to shake hands with Pope Francis after his inauguration mass at the Vatican on March 19, 2013. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

“There are a lot of nut cases out there,” said another Vatican official, who requested anonymity as he is not authorized to discuss security.

“But you can be sure that the security issues are being examined.”

Even Francis’ habit of constantly running late can’t make his bodyguards happy, since they’re used to carefully choreographed and timed events. After Mass on Sunday, it seemed as if one of the monsignors was begging Francis to hurry up, as he nervously looked at his watch – but the pope kept diving into the crowd.

Francis’ meet-and-greet manner is reminiscent of John Paul II’s open style in his first years as pope. And an iconic event in the earlier papacy brought to light some of the terrifying potential consequences of papal spontaneity. It was 1981 and John Paul had just handed a baby back to her mother, as his open jeep drove slowly through a crowded St. Peter’s Square. Shots rang out. The pope crumbled and bodyguards swarmed around him.

The Turkish gunman’s assassination attempt left John Paul severely wounded. While he made a full recovery, an era of light security was over.

Benedict’s papacy also had its share of scares.

In 2008, a German man jumped on the pope’s jeep and had to be wrestled down by a Vatican policeman. Two years later, a woman with a history of psychiatric problems jumped the security barricade in St. Peter’s Basilica during Christmas Eve Mass and pulled Benedict to the ground. The pope was uninjured but a cardinal fell and broke his hip.

Experts say that ditching the motorcade and the security detail can be dangerous in unexpected ways. “If someone like the pope publishes the fact that he doesn’t have the usual level of security, it only highlights the potential threats,” said British security expert Richard Aitch, the author of “Close Protection.”

Aitch, whose resume lists work for royalty, diplomats, and other VIPs, cited the example of British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose decision to forego motorcycle outriders drew concern after his official car was pictured caught in central’s London slow-moving traffic a few years ago. Such a situation could basically turn him into a sitting duck for any potential attacker.

In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L’ Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis meets with various representatives of other religions, at the Vatican Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Pope Francis has promised to continue the Catholic Church’s “fraternal” dialogue with Jews and work with Muslims for the common good. Francis met Wednesday with religious representatives from a dozen faiths and traditions who attended his installation Mass a day earlier. Credit: AP

In general, Aitch said that any leader’s decision to drop their guard “creates a security headache” – particularly if it becomes a habit.

And the pope isn’t just any leader, he’s one of the most public figures in the world. During an ordinary week, the pope makes a minimum of two appearances, at his general audience Wednesday and from his apartment window for his Sunday blessing.

For the new pope, it may all boil down to balancing legitimate security concerns with his down-to-earth manner and distaste for luxury.

Francis, for example, famously rode the bus to work while archbishop of Buenos Aires. While that casual style will likely stay, don’t expect to meet him in one of the ubiquitous trams that snake through Roman streets.

–

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Comments (52)

CrazyTravis
Posted on March 22, 2013 at 12:59am
Francis is 76 years old security or not he doesn’t have a whole lot of time left. If he wants to mingle with the crowds let him.

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todd147
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 4:39pm
I don’t subscribe to the Catholic traditions, but I believe there are many Catholics that truly believe. This Pope is a breath of fresh air. At a time when someone like him is needed to lead such a large group of people back to the faith they shared when Christianity was first made legal under Constantine. I lost my mother in law 2 days ago and she was Catholic. And her life was a blessing to her 9 children and anyone who came in contact with her. She knew how to be saved and she lived her faith. As Christ commanded us, she was salt and light. Seen and tasted, not heard. God Bless her and the new Pope.

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Retired Soldier
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 2:16pm
Love thy neighbor. Is it really that hard? Stop bearing bad fruit by bashing Catholics and the Pope. It shows your bad roots.

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pap pap
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:30pm
I can understand the concern but this is not a problem for security it is an opportunity and should make their jobs more exciting.

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DougHuffman
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:03am
“Security concern” for what, his demise? Do you not think that Il Papa is ready to meet Our Maker?

Obama, Lord of Flies, MOLON LABE you putz.

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- naughtycal
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:33am
  This pope supports gay civil unions…..end of story he’s no pope he’s no catholic,he’s just another snake oil seller.
  
  Report this comment
- tradcatholicgirl
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:24pm
  Naughtycal,
  
  That is simply ridiculous. Get a hold of yourself.
  
  Report this comment
- Caleb-Texas
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 2:38pm
  Dear NAUGHTYCAL,
  
  I suggest you to read the news…he is an ardent opponent of so-called same sex marriage even of same-sex couple adopting children…
  
  Report this comment
Gonzo
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 9:13am
I think his fearlessness is admirable.

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SonOfThunder
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 7:00am
He works with Satan the god of this age. Leave him alone since he rules this world. God allows him to rule. The false prophet works alongside the future anti Christ.

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- firearm
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 5:44pm
  Did you have a vision??
  
  Report this comment
tradcatholicgirl
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 6:46am
TH777 and THE MONK,

God’s will trumps Francis’ free will…but only to a point. If Francis is reckless with his life, then his pride (a vice) becomes too great. And that creates a free will that is not in line with God’s will.

True humility is the opposite of pride.

Francis, if he is humble, will compromise with those who are entrusted to care for his safety.

People loved John Paul II more after his assassination attempt, even though he rode in the Pope mobile. It somehow made JPII MORE accessible because people saw that he was humble enough to acknowledge his own vulnerability to evil.

It was a true model of true humility.

I pray Francis does not require a “lesson” in this.

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Mapache
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 6:45am
Some of the comments here are quite….uh…strange. Seems that anti-Catholic bigotry is alive and well. Does every article about the pope have to become a dogmatic free for all? Some comments presented as historical fact are also figments of some wild imaginations. When it comes to history, facts are stubborn things.

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media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 5:09am
Probably one of the few ways he can live with the past when political leadership threw people in jail and tortured them, and he could not help them? We should relate to that?

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Simonne
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 4:40am
I think he should be himself. Security concerns will be addressed in due time. I’m very impressed with this holy man & ignore silly comments some posters make about him.

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shorelineliz
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 3:28am
MAXIM CRUX
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:37am
He will…in the form of German military might against Muslims…especially those of the Iranian type in power.

@ max:

As a Jesuit from South America he is more apt to put on a bandolera and do it himself.

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shorelineliz
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 3:25am
MAXIM CRUX
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:11am
As much as I know this Pope is the one to fulfill the last mission of the pope, Christ stopped Peter when he surgically removed the Roman Guards ear. Lets face it, it takes a skilled swordsman to lopp off someones ear. That was the mission of the Apostles. They were bodyguards and thugs before they were ever popes.

@max:
dang dude. you need a history lesson. the apostles were “zealots” in the style of Judas Maccabees intending to throw off Roman rule which was pretty bad. Raping, killing, pillaging, etc. But they gave up all the nonsense once Christ was resurrected and went into full time NON THUGGERY ministry okay? They laid down their swords and revolting nonsense for a “shalom” or peaceful Jesus mission. Choosing to be martyred rather than to kill. And they were . No Apostles were ever Popes okay? Peter, for a while led, the band, but James presided in Jerusalem and Peter and Paul were both beheaded before anything. You do have the ‘overseer” Clement who presided in Rome and yes, you have POlycarp and Ignatius but they weren’t Apostles. Although, J.B. Lightfoot did write about them in “The Apostolic Fathers’ and it is a good read. I recommend it.

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shorelineliz
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 3:14am
And in other news:

Pope Francis was so “unpredictable” with the Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff and the Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirshner that he had to be sequestered for his own good.

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neiman1
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:23am
I pray the Pope reaches out to the Coptic Christians in Egypt. The world has forgotten them

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- Maxim Crux
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:37am
  He will…in the form of German military might against Muslims…especially those of the Iranian type in power.
  
  Report this comment
- firearm
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 5:49pm
  Maxim, you sound eerily like Max Jones. lol
  
  Report this comment
Maxim Crux
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:14am
The pope wears worn shoes, but is adored in high places. You see, Christ had worn shoes and was scorned in high places. That is the difference.

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- The Big Mick
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:36am
  Trot out your evidence for this. MC.
  Pilate obviously respected Jesus, so did Herod in his own twisted way.
  The wife of Herod’s comptroller bankrolled the ministry. A number of the Sanhedrin were closet disciples.
  Or are you arguing Christ is scorned in High Places today?
  
  Report this comment
- shorelineliz
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 3:19am
  okay. but did you see the weird painting in the Apostolic Palace behind Dilma and the Pope? It looks like Jesus half naked with red silk pajama pants and a snake for a tail and flanked by some little girl in a green dress on the right and I can’t make out the figure on the left and he is ascended in some portico above a stone base with a hole in it. Isn’t this just the weirdest painting ever? go figure.
  
  and….
  
  who are the guys in the very dark black robes with the white pez hats with the white veils trailing down the back? creepy!
  
  Report this comment
Maxim Crux
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:06am
Look what happened when faith was put in that other man. Once again, the world looks to a man to save them. Fools will never learn.

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- shorelineliz
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 3:12am
  Behind every Protestant is a Catholic. Behind every Catholic is a Jew. Go Figure.
  
  Report this comment
- shorelineliz
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 3:15am
  He’s the next Anti Christ anyway so who cares?
  
  Report this comment
DADDYWOREAWHITEHAT
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:40am
If he makes himself predictable vulnerable the Muslims will take him out.
Reality is what reality is.
Deny it all you want. It is what it is.
The church is their greatest enemy & they want that big score.

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- The Big Mick
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:38am
  An interesting concept Hat. I’m not arguing for the Trade, but a Martyred Pope that finally got the Universal Threat of World Wide Islamic Hegemony across to the Masses would at least have one Positive Result.
  
  Report this comment
- PATTY HENRY
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 2:15am
  Oh, we know this, but Satan knows his days are numbered and as time gets closer to the times described in REVELATIONS, the more panicked the evil will become…if any member of ISLAM is dumb enough to take on the GOD of the Universe…..
  The thing we can do for POPE FRANCIS: Pray for him. This is a man who evidently walks his talk. He belongs to GOD and is not afraid of the fallen creature aka Satan. Once in a great while we get a glimsp of what an “evil-free” existence could be… Heavenly… can you even imagine days and nights without the stress of envy, jealousy, all manner of evil and crime? How much more productive all beings can be? God invites you to ask Him to know Him and to come to Him…He’s not going to force His way onto you, your life…you have to ask…but the really good news is…that’s ALL you have to do is ASK. I bet there will be a lot more people asking now. God’s capacity for Love and Forgiveness is larger than any of us can comprehend. Good thing, eh? :)
  
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The Big Mick
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:31am
They better get used to it. Personal Pastoral Presence is what this guy seems to have at the core of his Theology and he is NOT going to compromise that now that he has an even bigger example to set.
His earthly security is just going to have to figure something out.

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yaya
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:14am
I find it funny that the Christian haters want separation of church and state here but they practically blame this Pope for any atrocities in his country. Double standards are the norm with progressives!

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- Marine25
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 9:26am
  There can be no seperation of church and state in The Vatican, as church and state are the same. The Vatican is a sovereign nation.
  
  Report this comment
Catherine A.
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:54pm
TH777, it isn’t humble to thwart your security team. They are there for a reason. They are highly trained professionals for a reason. They have elaborate, detailed security plans for a reason. The pope is an expert at many things, but security is not one of them, and he should leave that to the professionals.

I’m not saying HE is not humble, but that this BEHAVIOR is not a reflection of humility. I hope someone can convince him of this very soon.

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- TH777
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:05am
  I’m sure the Pope is very well aware of the dangers of his safety. Apparently mingling with people seem to be more important to him. I give him a lot of credit for that. It’s refreshing. Jesus didn’t have security. You do God’s will and you leave the rest to Him.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:08am
  Catherine A.
  
  With all due reverence…. Mother Teresa never had a security detail and She was a lot closer to God and/or Jesus and/or Angels than any Pope.
  
  I know… I meet her, talked with Her and worked with the Sisters.
  
  Report this comment
- Maxim Crux
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:11am
  As much as I know this Pope is the one to fulfill the last mission of the pope, Christ stopped Peter when he surgically removed the Roman Guards ear. Lets face it, it takes a skilled swordsman to lopp off someones ear. That was the mission of the Apostles. They were bodyguards and thugs before they were ever popes.
  
  Report this comment
Catherine A.
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:47pm
No disrespect to my Holy Father, but he needs to let his security team do its job. This isn’t just about him; to throw all their training and planning out the window is reckless, and puts their lives, as well as the lives of innocent pilgrims, in even greater danger. The Swiss Guards have offered their lives in service to the Pope, but that was with the understanding that he would cooperate with their efforts. Prudence is a virtue!

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- TH777
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:57pm
  I say..Leave the man be and let him be himself. If he feels the need to “rub elbows” with the people, then let him do it. I thing it is gracious and humble.
  
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- TH777
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:01am
  P.S. Your holy Father is God, not the Pope. I say this with no disrespect to you.
  
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- John655
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:28am
  @ TH777
  
  I guess Paul was mistaken in 1Corinthians 4:15 Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
  
  What do you think Pope even means? It means Papa.
  
  Report this comment
- The Big Mick
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:34am
  His Security team needs to let him do his. Their job is to protect him WHILE he is doing his job, not protect him by NOT ALLOWING him to do it.
  This Pope is about acting like Jesus. Jesus didn’t have a Security Team and when his guys tried to act like it he braced em up.
  They are going to have to figure something else out.
  
  Report this comment
- TH777
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:52am
  @John655: Read the passage again. It does not mean a “Holy Father”. It means a spiritual father. There is a big difference. A Pastor can be called a “spiritual father” but certainly not a “Holy Father”.
  
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- John655
  Posted on March 22, 2013 at 12:47am
  @ Th777
  
  You seem to be missing the point. God is our Heavenly Father. The Pope is our Holy Father because he serves 1.2 billion Catholics and is blessed with infalibilty on matters of faith and morals when he is teaching for all Catholics for all times. A very rare event.
  
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KickinBack
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:42pm
Saw this program on the Pope, and one of JPII’s security detail said that before JPII was shot, no one ever imagined that someone would try to shoot a Pope.

Here in America a hundred years ago, anyone and everyone was allowed to just walk into the White House whenever they wanted to.

One would think that with all our modern technology and easier lifestyles, everyone would be getting along better than we used to. Obviously not the case. Nowadays, the world is a scarier place, people seem to be more inclined to commit evil acts.

It feels like the world is sitting on powder keg…And humanity is playing with matches.

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Ojebuss
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:39pm
If you put your full faith and trust in God to protect you, He will. I believe that Pope Francis has that faith.

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- Catherine A.
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:49pm
  Ojebuss, this isn’t about faith; it’s about prudence.
  
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- John655
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:57pm
  Yeah sort a like the Jews who wouldn’t fight on the Sabbath believing God would protect them and were slaughtered. Maccabees learned a quick lesson and started fighting on the Sabbath.
  
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The-Monk
Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:34pm
Park the Pope-mobile…. this guy has his walking shoes on.

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- TH777
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:41pm
  Although I don’t believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church, I still love his humble ways.
  
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- The-Monk
  Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:59pm
  Me tooTH777…. : )
  
  Report this comment
- TH777
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:09am
  @ The-Monk: :) :)
  
  Report this comment

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