Pope John Paul II survived an assassination attempt by a Turkish gunman on this day in history, May 13, 1981. The pope would go on to forgive his would-be killer.
Following his release from the hospital, the Vatican adopted new security protocols to better protect the pope.
Pope John Paul II speaks with his would-be assassin, Mehmet Ali Ağca, in Rebibbia Jail, Rome. The pontiff forgave Ali Ağca for the attempt on his life. On the day of the attempted assassination, Ali Ağca had a handwritten note in his pocket reading,"I am killing the pope as a protest against the imperialism of the Soviet Union and the United States and against the genocide that is being carried out in Salvador and Afghanistan," said the History Channel.
John Paul II credited the Virgin Mary for saving his life, as he was shot on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, said the National Catholic Register.
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