45 Years After the Attempted Assassination of Pope John Paul II

On 13 May 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca while riding in an open jeep in St. Peter’s Square. Four rounds were fired; one bullet struck the pontiff’s chest, soaking his cassock in blood. He was rushed to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and spent five months recovering. The bullet later rested in the crown of the statue of Our Lady of Fátima.

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history

The shooting occurred on May 13, the anniversary of the 1917 Fátima apparition, a date Pope John Paul II had long honored. He later called his survival a miracle: “One hand fired; another guided the bullet.” Historians note his 1978 election alarmed Soviet leaders, who saw him as a destabilizing force in the Eastern Bloc.

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history

John Paul II’s survival bolstered his moral authority and intensified his focus on suffering, penance and forgiveness, later codified in the 1984 apostolic letter *Salvifici Doloris*. Scholars link his papacy to the symbolic weakening of Soviet control, noting the Berlin Wall’s fall and the USSR’s dissolution within a decade.

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history

Pope Leo XIV marked the 2026 anniversary, saying, “Today we remember the memorial of Our Lady of Fátima… I dedicated my catechesis to the Blessed Virgin Mary.” John Paul II, in a 1983 interview, affirmed, “Jesus teaches us to forgive.” Historian Pawel Skibinski said the attempt “strengthened the pope’s credibility” and made him a destabilizing force for the Soviet regime. Vatican archives curated by Miroslaw Cichon preserve worldwide prayers and a photo of Our Lady of Czestochowa on the empty papal chair.

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history

Scholars accept Soviet-Bulgarian links but note no direct Politburo order, leaving the motive uncertain. Some critics warn that emphasizing a miracle may downplay the political context.

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history

At the 2026 ceremony, Pope Leo XIV stepped from his popemobile to kneel before the marble plaque marking the shooting site. Images show the plaque, the empty papal chair with an icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, and the glass-enclosed popemobile that replaced the open vehicle after 1981.

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history

• “One hand fired; another guided the bullet,” — Pope John Paul II

Pope Leo prays where St. John Paul II was shot on feast of Our Lady of Fátima

• “On this day 45 years ago an attempt was made on the life of Pope John Paul II, and for these reasons I dedicated my catechesis today to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” — Pope Leo XIV

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history

• “The Marian pope was saved thanks to the hand that diverted the deadly bullet — thanks to the hand of Mary,” — Alberto Michelini, journalist

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history

• “Perhaps the full truth about the assassination will never emerge, but it was clear that the Slavic pope had become a destabilizing force for the last empire.” — Pawel Skibinski, historian

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history

Future Vatican events will mark each May 13 anniversary with scholarly conferences on Cold-War history and renewed Marian devotion. Ongoing archival work seeks to clarify remaining uncertainties about Soviet involvement.

45 years on, attempted assassination of St. John Paul II recalled as turning point in history