Security expert reacts after Pope Leo breaks major protocol with controversial popemobile entrance
A security expert has given their take on the massive 'risk' Pope Leo has taken as he travelled in the popemobile for the first time during his inauguration today.
All eyes were on the first-ever American pontiff as he greeted the thousands of followers who had turned up hoping to get a glimpse of him as he headed through St Peter's Square in the Vatican ahead of being inaugurated into his role.
World leaders and royals from across the globe were also taking their seats for the historic event, with US vice president JD Vance capturing the attention of viewers after smooching his wife.
But as the pope emerged to interact with the crowds atop of the popemobile this morning, his controversial decision to turn down a major security measure also became apparent.
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The first 'official' popemobile is widely considered to be a Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 460 Pullman given to Pope Pius XI in 1930, and came adorned with silk carpeting and embossed doves on the exterior.
The popemobile has become a key way for the pontiff to interact with his followers, but it also serves another very important purpose in more recent times - it's typically the pope's last line of defence against assassination attempts.
This came after major change was made to the design in 1981 when tragedy struck.
That year, Mehmet Ali Agca attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II, and ever since, the infamous vehicle started being manufactured with bulletproof glass and heavy armour to defend the pontiff in the event of an attempt on his life.
At the time of the attack, Pope John was going about his regular routine of greeting his followers on St Peter's Square when bullets suddenly fired from the crowd.
Ağca shot the pope twice, leaving him severely injured, and was later sentenced to life behind bars. To this day, his motives behind the assassination attempt remain unclear.
However, similarly to his predecessor Pope Francis, Pope Leo has opted to forgo having bulletproof glass protection, despite the risks.
Speaking in 2014, Francis shed some light on his decision, telling Spanish media that he wasn't keen on the 'sardine can' design of the protected vehicle as he felt it separated him from his followers.
Now, security expert Will Geddes has given his take on the controversial decision, admitting he would be very 'anxious' over it as he explained the two key reasons why Pope Leo could be a target.
Of course, just because there's no bulletproof glass, it doesn't mean other measures aren't in place.
A security expert's take on Pope Leo's lack of protection
Geddes - who has over three decades of experience in the Specialist Security sector - explained to Tyla: "His security team wouldn't have allowed him to do that and would have strongly advised against it if they felt that they did not have control of the environments he was going to be driving through - and that’s not just on the ground, that’s also the high ground - people spotters, snipers, alike, who are going to be on rooftops who will have a good overwatch of the crowd below.
"That would also mean that they've got good security on the grounds in controlling and searching and testing for anybody who’s coming into that environment, and ensuring that they didn't have a repeat of the previous assassination attempt [of Pope John Paul] back in 1981."
A chilling track record
But that doesn't mean wavering the option to be encased in bulletproof glass is a good idea, especially given the somewhat terrifying track record.
"An open top, it’s risky. We’ve seen it with JFK, we’ve seen it with the previous pope [John Paul], we’ve seen it in various other assassinations and attempted assassinations when you have the principal that’s elevated above everyone else so that everyone can see them, with that comes the dilemma of the threat and the increased level of threat," Geddes tells Tyla.
'The enemy only has to be lucky once.'
The expert went on to explain that despite the risks, the decision clearly 'shows enormous amounts of confidence his security team have in the security measures'.
"But I also could see this new pope probably insisting that he didn't want to be partitioned from the people who had turned up, and that he wants to appear more approachable," he continued. "We do live in very volatile times, but really it will come down to them believing they have absolute control of that environment.
“I would still be very anxious because you can never assure 100 percent security. The enemy only has to be lucky once."
But how much of a target is Pope Leo? Well, Geddes thinks there are two key reasons which could form a threat.
"The first of which is he’s American," he tells us. "Secondly, in these times of Islamic extremism - we’ve been seeing this taking place across various parts of the world, Syria is a very good case in point - where Christians have been targeted, they’ve been killed, and there’s almost been very directed actions towards the Christian community.
"This in itself presents huge threats in that regard, not only by those die-hard Islamic extremists, but also those who might be willing to promote their agenda."
Topics: Pope Leo, World News
Chloe Jackson