40 years since the attack on John Paul II – News

On May 13, 1981, the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II was carried out in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. Tens of thousands of people witnessed the terror attack, which occurred as the Pope greeted the faithful and seconds after holding a child with blond curls curled in his arms.

The world was shocked by the four shots fired by Mehmet Ali Agca with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Two bullets lodged in his stomach, another hit him in the right arm and the rest in his left hand.

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In the midst of a crowd, bloodied and seriously injured, the Pontiff fell into the vehicle carrying him and the world was paralyzed by the unexpected attack. Dozens of security guards surrounded him and the roofless car sped into the Apostolic Palace. Two passers-by were also injured: Ann Oddre of the United States was shot in the chest and Rose Hill of Jamaica sustained a superficial injury to her arm.

The hitman – in a gray jacket and white shirt – was caught by Camilo Cibin, head of security for the Vatican Gendarmerie Corps. With an impenetrable face, a beard of a few days and a lost gaze, the Turk offered almost no resistance.

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The Polish pontiff was referred to the polyclinic at Agostino Gemelli University, where he underwent surgery for six hours. Fortunately, the bullets did not affect either the abdominal aorta or the mesenteric artery, but John Paul II lost almost three-quarters of his blood, suffering an exsanguination shock as a result of the intestinal perforation.

The intervention required blood transfusions and a temporary colostomy. Several months later, he had a cytomegalovirus infection, due to the incorporated fresh blood that had not been adequately treated due to the urgency of the case.

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Despite numerous testimonies, Agca’s motivations for carrying out this attack have never been known with certainty. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and the Pope visited him in prison in 1983 to forgive him.

In dialogue with Channel 3, Francesco Cavalieri, assistant to John Paul II, explained what it meant for him to attend this visit.

“It was very shocking to see the Pope kiss the person who tried to kill himself. For me, it was something unexpected, ”he exclaimed.

And he added: “In the Gospel, Jesus says ‘love your enemies’ and to see him embodied in the person of John Paul II was for me an extraordinary example. Perhaps one of the greatest gifts he has given to mankind. “

On January 18, 2010, Agca was released after being held in the high security prison in the city of Sincan, on the outskirts of Ankara, the capital of Turkey.

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