Pope John Paul II: "Our Lady's hand deflected the bullet's trajectory"

On May 13, 1981, in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, the papal enclave in Rome, several gun shots hit the Polish Pontiff, John Paul II, as he moved through the crowd of pilgrims attending the general audience.

Journalist Benedetto Nardacci commented: "For the first time, we can talk about terrorism in the Vatican, where messages of love, concord and peace have always been broadcast." On May 13 1981, at 5:17pm, Nardacci witnessed the unthinkable: an assassination attempt on the life of 60-year-old John Paul II. His assailant, 23-year-old Mehmet Ali Agca, was a Turkish militant. A Franciscan nun, Sister Letizia Giudici, managed to tackle him to the ground as he stumbled, dropping his handgun.

The crowd of 20,000 pilgrims in St. Peter's Square was stunned and panicked. In the streets of Borgo (the neighborhood directly east of Vatican City), close to the scene of the tragedy, a clamor spread: "They've killed the Pope. The Pope is dead!" And yet, the Successor of Peter was still alive. On the way to Gemelli Hospital, he murmured the name of Mary in his native tongue. The Church was celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on that day. 

John Paul II, in critical condition, spent more than four hours in surgery. In Rome and around the world, millions of faithful prayed for him. Their voices, full of fervor and hope, were heard: four days later, the Holy Father gave an address from his hospital bed. This was his Regina Caeli prayer, from which springs the strength of forgiveness and filial confidence in the Mother of the Saviour: 

"Praised be Jesus Christ! Dear brothers and sisters, I know that in these days, and especially in this hour of the Regina Coeli, you are united with me. I thank you deeply for your prayers and I bless you all. I am particularly close to the two people who were injured with me. I pray for the brother who hit me and whom I have sincerely forgiven. United with Christ, Priest and Victim, I offer my sufferings for the Church and the world. To you, Mary, I repeat: 'Totus tuus ego sum', I am all yours".

A year later, John Paul II visited Fatima. He was convinced that the hand of Our Lady, who had appeared 65 years earlier to the three young shepherds, had deflected the bullet's trajectory and that she had saved his life.

Vatican News