Pope John Paul II Assassination Attempt
The first attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II took place on Wednesday, 13 May 1981, in St. Peter's Square at Vatican City. The Pope was shot and critically wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca while he was entering the square. The Pope was struck four times, and suffered severe blood loss. Ağca was apprehended immediately, and later sentenced to life in prison by an Italian court. The Pope later forgave Ağca for the assassination attempt. He was pardoned by Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi at the Pope's request and was deported to Turkey in June 2000.
Read more about Pope John Paul II Assassination Attempt: Attempted Assassination, Incarceration of Ağca, Relationship With Pope John Paul II, Motivations For The Assassination Attempt, Possible Vatican Connection, In Fiction, See Also
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