**Pope Benedict has delivered his traditional Christmas message at the Vatican, hours after a woman leapt at him and dragged him to the ground.**The Pope spoke in a firm voice in front of thousands of pilgrims, appearing undaunted by the earlier incident.
He said the Church was a “source of unity” for many people across the world and called for those in conflict zones to show respect for one another.
The Vatican said the woman who jumped at the Pope has been taken to hospital.
Vatican officials said she appeared to be mentally unstable, and that she had attempted to get to the Pope at the same event last year.
French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, was standing a few metres away and fell and broke his hip during the incident.