May 13, 1981 marks the day when Pope John Paul II narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.
On May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and almost lost his life while conducting his usual Wednesday General Audience.
According to the History Channel, Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish gunman, shot the pope in Peter's Square. Ağca fired four shots, two of which hit Pope John Paul II in the abdomen and left hand, causing him to collapse immediately.
On May 12, 1965, the Rolling Stones recorded "Satisfaction" after Keith Richards came up with a riff in a dream. According to the same source, two other individuals, a 60-year-old American woman named Ann Odre and a 21-year-old Jamaican woman named Rose Hill, were wounded by the remaining two bullets.
Ali Ağca was promptly apprehended. The pope was immediately taken to Gemelli Hospital in Rome and underwent a five-hour operation to preserve his life, according to the History Channel.
During the live reporting of the General Audience, Vatican Radio reporter Benedetto Nardacci mentioned that terrorism is being discussed in the Vatican for the first time. He expressed his surprise that a place known for promoting love, harmony, and peace is now discussing such a violent topic. Additionally, Nardacci highlighted the achievements of Elizabeth Ann Seton, an American who was the first to achieve sainthood, and was known for being a mother, educator, and miracle worker.
According to the outlet, expressions of love and peace were conveyed even to the pope's hospital chamber while he was recuperating.
The Vatican News reported that Pope John Paul II was discharged from Gemelli Hospital in August 1981, four days after the assassination attempt. During his hospitalization, the Pope publicly stated that he forgave the person who had attacked him, referring to him as "the brother who struck me."
On May 9, 1914, Woodrow Wilson declared Mother's Day through a proclamation. After being discharged from the hospital, the Vatican implemented new security measures to safeguard the pope, which included the use of a bulletproof-glass vehicle called the "popemobile" to transport him through crowds, according to Vatican News.
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On April 27, 1983, Pope John Paul II pardoned Ali Ağca in person, as reported by Vatican News. On April 2, 2005, Pope John Paul II passed away at the age of 84. The Pope referred to their meeting as a meeting between equals and brothers. He also emphasized the importance of brotherhood and the fact that God is our Father, as reported by Vatican News.
On this day in history, February, a picture of their meeting was featured on the front page of Time magazine under the title "What is the Reason for Forgiveness?"
On November 11, 1858, St. was visited by Our Lady of Lourdes for the first time.
The reasons behind Ali Ağca's attempt to assassinate the pope are unclear. On the day of the incident, he had a note in his pocket stating that he was protesting against the imperialism of the Soviet Union and the United States, as well as the genocide in Salvador and Afghanistan. He later claimed to have been involved in a KGB plot. In 2000, Pope John Paul II requested that the Italian government pardon Ali Ağca, and he was subsequently extradited to Turkey where he was imprisoned for the murder of a newspaper editor in 1979.
The article explains the significance of the Catholic prayer known as the Rosary, which aids in meditation on Jesus and Mary. It also mentions the release of Ali Ağca from a Turkish prison in 2010.
According to the National Catholic Register, John Paul II attributed his survival from being shot on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima to the Virgin Mary. During a visit to the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal, on the anniversary of the shooting, the Pope expressed his gratitude to Our Lady and presented the bullet that almost took his life as a token of appreciation. The bullet was subsequently incorporated into the crown of the statue, in a vacant area beneath its eight arches.
The article states that the bullet that nearly killed John Paul II in 1981 landed perfectly in a space left empty in the Queen's crown since 1942. Despite the close call, John Paul II went on to serve as pope for almost 24 more years before passing away from flu-related complications in 2005. He was later declared a saint by Pope Francis, along with his predecessor Pope John XIII, on April 27, 2014. To access the Fox News app or sign up for their lifestyle newsletter, click the provided links.