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A hand holding a pistol, left, aims from the crowd at Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's
Square in Rome in this May 13, 1981 photo. Moments later, the pontiff was shot (AP).
Square in Rome in this May 13, 1981 photo. Moments later, the pontiff was shot (AP).
On This Day: Gunman Tries to Assassinate Pope John Paul II
May 13, 2009 02:00 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
On May 13, 1981, the pope was shot and seriously wounded in Rome's St. Peter’s Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca.
Turkish Militant Fired From Crowd
At about 5:00 in the evening, Pope John Paul II was cruising slowly through St. Peter’s Square in an open-roofed vehicle, blessing children held up to his reach. Time magazine called the pope’s familiar ritual “a rite of sweet human communion.”
After one go-around of the square, gunshots were fired from the crowd. “The pope froze in shock for a second, and then slumped to the seat of his jeep,” ABC News reported. Shot in the abdomen, the pope later recovered without lasting injury.
The gunman, Mehmet Ali Agca, ran but was quickly chased down by Vatican plainclothes security guards and members of the crowd. Police found a note in Agca’s pocket that said, “I am killing the Pope as a protest against the imperialism of the Soviet Union and the United States."
A member of the paramilitary wing of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Action Party, Agca had shot and killed newspaper editor Abdi Ipekci in Istanbul in 1979. He had escaped from a maximum-security prison after threatening to kill John Paul II, whom he called “the masked leader of the Crusades,” Time reported.
During the 20-minute drive to Gemelli, a Catholic hospital in Rome reputed to be the best in Italy, Pope John Paul II was “softly murmuring ‘Madonna, Madonna’” in his native Polish.
After one go-around of the square, gunshots were fired from the crowd. “The pope froze in shock for a second, and then slumped to the seat of his jeep,” ABC News reported. Shot in the abdomen, the pope later recovered without lasting injury.
The gunman, Mehmet Ali Agca, ran but was quickly chased down by Vatican plainclothes security guards and members of the crowd. Police found a note in Agca’s pocket that said, “I am killing the Pope as a protest against the imperialism of the Soviet Union and the United States."
A member of the paramilitary wing of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Action Party, Agca had shot and killed newspaper editor Abdi Ipekci in Istanbul in 1979. He had escaped from a maximum-security prison after threatening to kill John Paul II, whom he called “the masked leader of the Crusades,” Time reported.
During the 20-minute drive to Gemelli, a Catholic hospital in Rome reputed to be the best in Italy, Pope John Paul II was “softly murmuring ‘Madonna, Madonna’” in his native Polish.
Key Players: Pope John Paul II, Mehmet Ali Agca
Pope John Paul II (1920–2005)
Karol Józef Wojtyła was born on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland, a small town outside of Krakow. He enrolled at Jagiellonian University in 1938, but had to put aside his studies a year later when Nazi forces closed the institution. He decided to join the priesthood in 1942 and entered a clandestine seminary, continuing his studies after World War II.
After being ordained in 1946, he graduated with his doctorate in 1948. Karol was elected pope on Oct. 16, 1978. His 27 years as spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church were marked by his outreach to young people and calls for dialogue with other major religions. He died on April 2, 2005. He is already on the church’s list for beatification and canonization.
Karol Józef Wojtyła was born on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland, a small town outside of Krakow. He enrolled at Jagiellonian University in 1938, but had to put aside his studies a year later when Nazi forces closed the institution. He decided to join the priesthood in 1942 and entered a clandestine seminary, continuing his studies after World War II.
After being ordained in 1946, he graduated with his doctorate in 1948. Karol was elected pope on Oct. 16, 1978. His 27 years as spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church were marked by his outreach to young people and calls for dialogue with other major religions. He died on April 2, 2005. He is already on the church’s list for beatification and canonization.
Mehmet Ali Agca (1958–)
Mehmet Ali Agca was born in Yesiltepe, Turkey, on Jan. 9, 1958. He murdered Turkish journalist Abdi Ipekci in 1978 but escaped from prison in late 1979. In 1981, he made an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. Italian President Carlo Ciampi pardoned him from his attempted murder charge in 2000, after which he was extradited to Turkey.
Mehmet Ali Agca was born in Yesiltepe, Turkey, on Jan. 9, 1958. He murdered Turkish journalist Abdi Ipekci in 1978 but escaped from prison in late 1979. In 1981, he made an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. Italian President Carlo Ciampi pardoned him from his attempted murder charge in 2000, after which he was extradited to Turkey.
Later Developments: Agca released from prison
Pope John Paul later forgave Agca, who served 20 years in an Italian prison, and even visited his would-be assassin in his prison cell. Agca was granted clemency in 2000 and extradited to Turkey, where he was sent to do time for his 1979 murder of Turkish journalist Abdi Ipekci.
Upon Pope John Paul II's death, Agca was said to be in mourning by his brother, Adnan Agca.
In September 2006, two months before Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Turkey, Agca sent the current pontiff a letter from prison saying that his "life is in danger” if he came to Turkey. “For your own welfare you must make a grand gesture of honor and resign.” Agca was briefly freed from prison in 2006 but after public outcry, he was jailed again. He is due to remain in prison in Istanbul until 2012.
In September 2006, two months before Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Turkey, Agca sent the current pontiff a letter from prison saying that his "life is in danger” if he came to Turkey. “For your own welfare you must make a grand gesture of honor and resign.” Agca was briefly freed from prison in 2006 but after public outcry, he was jailed again. He is due to remain in prison in Istanbul until 2012.
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
