Pope was shot 4 times by assassin - then performed incredible act of forgiveness
dailystar.co.ukForty one years ago, on May 13, 1981, thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square, Rome, to see Pope John Paul II - but nobody could've predicted what happened next.Vatican officials were apparently worried for the Pope's safety due to his frequent appearances in front of large, excited crowds all over the world.And at around 5.15pm local time their worst fears came true.
He was shot four times at close range as he blessed his followers in Rome.Joy quickly turned to horror, with screams from some 20,000 worshippers after the beloved figure was hit twice in the chest, once in his right arm and once in his little finger from 15ft away.His Popemobile sped off into the Vatican Complex from where he was taken to hospital.After a five-hour surgery, and prayers sent by millions of worshippers, the Pope miraculously recovered two weeks later.And then, something even more shocking happened - he forgave his attacker in the truest of Christian tradition.Mehmet Ali Hagca, a Turkish citizen who had escaped from prison in 1979, was named as the would-be killer.
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