NICOLE WINFIELD A German man jumped a security barrier and grabbed the Pope's open vehicle before being tackled by guards in St Peter's Square yesterday, reviving debate over whether the pontiff should be better protected for public audiences.

NICOLE WINFIELD

A German man jumped a security barrier and grabbed the Pope's open vehicle before being tackled by guards in St Peter's Square yesterday, reviving debate over whether the pontiff should be better protected for public audiences.

The Pope was unharmed and appeared not even to have noticed as he did not look back and kept waving and blessing the crowd. However, security analysts said he was exposing himself to undue risk by appearing in public at the same place and time each week in his open Popemobile.

"If he cannot change the route or the hour, he must use at least a protected car," said Claude Moniquet, head of the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Centre.

The man vaulted the barrier in an apparent attempt to jump into the Popemobile.

He managed to grab the back of the vehicle before eight security guards trailing the car pinned him to the ground.

Benedict XVI kept waving and blessing the crowd. The Popemobile kept moving slowly and the audience proceeded as if nothing had happened.

The Rev Federico Lombardi, the Vatican's spokesman, identified the man only as a 27-year-old German who had shown signs of "mental imbalance". The man was questioned by Vatican police before being taken to a hospital for psychiatric assessment.

"His aim was not an attempt on the Pope's life, but to attract attention to himself," said Lombardi.

The incident rekindled memories of the attempt on Pope John Paul II's life on May 13, 1981. He was shot and seriously wounded as he was riding in an open Popemobile at the start of his general audience in St Peter's Square, a similar scenario to yesterday.

The gunman, Mehmet Ali Agca of Turkey, was convicted and served his sentence in Italy before being transferred to Turkey.

Moniquet said leaders such as the Pope must balance proximity to the public with their own security needs.

However, unlike other leaders who make occasional forays into the public domain, the Pope has a regular appointment with the faithful every Wednesday, the type of routine that security guards try to avoid.

"The fact is you cannot ensure 100% protection," he said. "It's around the Vatican. It's a ritual. I'm afraid there are not a lot of options."

Nevertheless, Vatican officials said there were no plans to change the long-standing use of open vehicles for the audience inside the Vatican. The Pope is protected by a combination of Swiss Guards, Vatican police and Italian police.

When the Pope travels abroad, he uses a vehicle outfitted with bulletproof glass.

Moniquet noted that people went to papal audiences to see the Pope, something bulletproof glass would still permit. However, it would prevent the pontiff from blessing babies that are occasionally passed up to him by his guards, as he did yesterday.

Since the September 11 attacks in the US, the Vatican has tightened security in St Peter's Square when the Pope is present. All visitors must pass by police to get into the square, with some going through metal detectors or being frisked by metal detecting wands.

Nevertheless, virtually anyone can attend.-AP