Protecting the Pope from those who Love Him

Nicole Neroulias with Religion News Service has a great story we haven't seen yet, focused on security for the Pope and the difficulties of protecting someone who is so loved. She puts into words what many of us think about, but few have put into print.

Neroulias writes: "There's a different, euphoric atmosphere with the pope," he explained. "You've got to worry about mentally ill people, you've got to worry about Islamic radical fundamentalists, and on top of that, you've got to be concerned about people who just want to touch him and overwhelm the protective detail around him by loving him."

While the Secret Service once focused on protecting John Paul II from gunmen -- the last assassination attempt on a pope was the 1981 shooting at the Vatican -- modern security measures must guard against suicide bombers and terrorism plots that target the crowd, too.

Naturally, those she talks to don't want to get into specifics, or whether there is a heightened risk. I had the same sort of reaction when I spoke with the Secret Service. I can add that from my perspective the security measures, protocols, screenings, and background checks for the media seem far more intense than the previous times I have covered the pope.