Chronicle of events. May 13, 1981 John Paul II met with the pilgrims in Rome. He was in an open top car, giving a blessing to the faithful.
At 17:19 there were heard three shots from the first rows of standing near the Pope people. The bullets hit his abdomen, right arm and finger. Also, two pilgrims were injured.
The offender was detained at the scene. He was Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turkish terrorist who has just escaped from prison.
The wounded Pope was taken to a local clinic and in the emergency room he lost consciousness. During few hours the surgeons fought for his life. The head of the Catholic Church survived because the bullets didn’t touch the vital organs.
Grace to the squalid.
The Pope forgave Agca and asked his pardon, but the Italian court sentenced him to life imprisonment. In 1983 John Paul II visited Agca in prison. They talked, found common language and became friends.
Later he was extradited back home, where he stayed 10 years in prison. In 2010 he was released, came to Rome and laid 24 white roses on the grave of the Pope.
The motives of the crime.
At the trial Agca claimed that the attempt to kill the Pope was his initiative. The motive of the murder – religious hatred. But the terrorist had accomplices as it was impossible commit such a crime without the support of the security services.
Kremlin’s hand.
After the assassination, the western press has immediately begun to argue that the roots of the crime must be sought in the Kremlin, as the Pope made friends with Lech Walesa, the leader of the “Solidarity” movement, whose goal was to change the socialist regime in Poland. Therefore, it can be argued that the death of the pontiff was on hand to Russia.
Bulgaria.
In 1984, a terrorist has dramatically changed his testimony and began to say that he acted on a tip from the Bulgarian secret services. But the motives for the crime in this case weren’t disclosed and are still a mystery.
The Islamists.
After fleeing from Turkey, where he was serving a punishment for previous crimes, Agca for some time settled in Iran. There is a version that there he colluded with the Islamists. The murder of the pontiff could be beneficial for the Islamists, as Iran wasn’t friendly with the West.
Next of Vatican.
After extradition to his homeland, Agca with the persistence began to push new versions of the crime. Agca accused of organizing the assassination attempt on Pope the Vatican authorities. According to analysts, the Cardinals had a motive for murder too.
The CIA wanted to make the top of Rome under control to increase the pressure on the socialist countries. In addition, they needed a “martyr”, and pontiff suited for this role very good. In addition, he actively fought against corruption.
