Marble

1981

St. Peter’s Square, close to bronze doors.

    The marble plaque bearing Pope John Paul II’s (1978-2005) coat of arms indicates the exact point at which the pontiff was shot in the assassination attempt of 13 May 1981, a date few faithful will ever forget. That sad day, at 17:19, during the usual weekly audience, John Paul II , on board the white jeep was blessing the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square, on his way towards the front of the Basilica, when a man mingled among the faithful shot him twice in the chest. The assassin was identified as Mehmet Ali Agca, a right-wing Turkish terrorist. The pontiff was immediately hospitalized and underwent an operation that lasted five and a half hours .

    Marking the anniversary of the attack, the Pope placed one of the bullets in the crown of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. At Christmas 1983 , John Paul II met his attacker in prison and forgave him.

Video of attack

Photo of John Paul II and Mehmet Alì Agca