Pontifical John Paul Ii Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family
The roots of the word "assassinator" stem from the Holy Wars of the Crusades. Although "assassin" didn't enter the English language until the 16th century, information technology comes from a French/Italian word, "assissini," derived from the Standard arabic, "hashishin," which has roots 300 years prior to its acceptance into English. This seems like a fitting origin when discussing a particular event that occurred more than 40 years ago: the attempted bump-off of Pope John Paul Ii.
The events of Apr thirteen, 1981 led to tighter security at the Vatican and for high-ranking clergy members all over the world. The scenario might feel like an action picture show, and, later, the shooting of John Paul 2 did inspire works of fiction such as Tom Clancy'due south Red Rabbit and Frederick Forsyth'south The Quaternary Protocol. We don't know for sure if the bump-off of Pope Joan Paul Ii would've had apocalyptic consequences, but it does raise questions about gun control and how to care for our enemies that perchance the current Pope, Francis I, could respond.
Presidents, Parades, and Priests: A New Kind of Pope
John Paul II was born in 1920 and was appointed pope in 1978. In fact, he had merely been pope for two years prior to this assassination attempt. Known every bit a pope for the people, John Paul 2 was a different kind of priest.
When you call back virtually information technology, John Paul 2 was the first to become pope in an era where televisions were a norm in the average household. John Paul II definitely took advantage of the visibility that television offered. He was very much in the public heart for much of the late '70s, '80s, and '90s. Cities threw parades for him. Celebrities shook hands with him. It did not take long for John Paul II to take the earth by storm.
The assassination attempt on Pope John Paul Ii occured on April 13, 1981. The pope had just arrived at Saint Peter's Foursquare and greeted a crowd of 10,000 people. While blessing a man with a camera, the shot went off; the photographic camera man'south footage shows the pope seconds after being shot. On the footage, John Paul II was every bit cool, at-home, and collected as possible, considering the circumstances.
The shooter's name was Mehmet Ali Ağca. Mehmet was a 23-year-erstwhile man from Turkey. He was able to get a skilful shot on the pope, only did not do any further damage. Today, we may be more used to shootings that look like random acts of violence, crowds of people beingness dealt blow later blow. But Ağca merely had one target that day.
In the aftermath of the shooting, two parts of the pope's intestines were removed. Aside from that, there was not much lasting damage. John Paul Two was able to make a quick recovery, but that is not where the story ends. A example like this seems pretty "open up and shut." A man fired a gun at a figurehead, and was caught right abroad, right? Well, hither'due south where it gets wild.
Mehmet Ağca had publicly threatened the pope two years prior to the attempt. He was being held in prison house for the alleged murder of announcer Abdi Ipecki, and escaped federal Turkish prison in 1979. A letter of the alphabet threatening the pope was found in his cell, Which led to the Vatican beefing upwards John Paul Two's security.
Two years later, Ağca took a flight from Turkey to Milan nether a faux name. No one is sure how Ağca was able to get a 9mm handgun into the country, merely he either had 1 from Turkey or caused information technology afterward arriving in Italia. Despite all of this, John Paul II showed his popeliness and was instantly forgiving of Ağca. Perhaps surprisingly, the ii formed quite the bond over the years that followed the attempt.
In that location are all types of theories as to why Ağca shot the pope and who he may or may non have been working with to do it. If yous dive into the deep net, you can probably find a conspiracy theory of every imaginable scenario, but, here, we are focusing on the more widely believed scenarios.
Ağca has given multiple accounts of his planning for the assail and multiple motives. You lot know how Pope John Paul II is considered to be more than of a pope of the people and even rubbed elbows in Hollywood? Ağca, at one point, said that the Pope had a capitalist agenda and pretty much chosen him a sellout — if not evil.
Some suggest the KGB may have been involved. John Paul 2 was a Shine pope. Poland at the time was taking steps to liberate itself from its ties to the Soviet Union, which helped create a domino effect that ended with the plummet of the Berlin Wall.
He's also claimed to be the Second Coming and was doing his duty. Over the years, Ağca also said that he had assist from within the Vatican itself, and that the devil lives inside those walls. In the yr 2000, John Paul II went on to reveal that the assassination attempt was actually the Third Hush-hush of Fatima —the third apocalyptic vision that came to Lúcia de Jesus Rosa dos Santos. Yikes.
The text of the secret has been released from the Vatican, but the writing in it is open to interpretation. However, at Agca's 2nd trial in 1986, he asked virtually the 3rd secret and why it had not been released yet. Nosotros told you this was a wild i!
Some speculate that Ağca was a fellow member of the People's Forepart for Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a secular Marxist-Leninist grouping known for suicide bombings and other attacks. Later, information technology was confirmed that Ağca was a member of the Gray Wolves, besides known as the Idealist Hearths, a correct-fly ultra secular organization. Similar to QAnon and other conspiracy-sharing hubs, it is believed that Ağca was radicalized — but without the net.
Despite how radical the positions of Ağca were, information technology did not hinder his relationship with John Paul II. They did not take a relationship prior to Ağca's shooting, but the pope was adamant about forming i later on. For years, John Paul Two would visit Ağca in his cell (pictured above) and the two became penpals. John Paul 2 did not have to travel far equally Ağca was sentenced to life in a private prison nearby.
The pope was adamant about forgivingAğca in the media and went out of his manner to forge a bond. Ağca was even reported to have kissed the pope's ring at one betoken. And, when Ağca was released from prison in 2010, he published his first book in 2013 virtually the attempted bump-off.
Francis, Benedict, and Safer Tomorrows
The commencement pope to have over after John Paul Ii's death in 2005 was Benedict XVI. Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, Pope emeritus Benedict XIV was pretty far off from John Paul II'due south interpretation of what it means to exist a pope. Bridegroom XIV was more studious — a pope for the scholars. Simply Benedict XIV was not pope for long and eventually stepped down because of his historic period and health.
While Benedict XIV may have been on the conservative side when it came to nascence control, reproductive rights, sexuality, and gender, information technology's still noteworthy that the Cosmic Church building under Benedict 14 advocated for gun control and peace. Whether Benedict Xiv would have been every bit poised and forgiving as John Paul Two is not clear.
In 2013, a man born Jorge Mario Bergoglio was named Pope Francis I. Taking over for Benedict, Pope Francis has more in mutual with John Paul Two. Pope Francis is from Argentine republic and is the first pope to be born outside of Europe in more a millenia.
Pope Francis is rightfully credited with bringing needed progress to the Catholic Church building. Nosotros love that the proper noun "Francis" was called because of Francis of Assisi — the patron saint of animals and the environs. More chiefly, the name choice lines up with the pope's political views: Pope Francis has been very outspoken most climate alter among other issues.
Despite the progress from Francis, his forwardness can seem like too little, too late, for some in the community. For example, women are at present able to take formalized roles in the Catholic Church building cheers to Pope Francis, but, for some reason, they still can't become priests. Pope Francis has too been more accepting of some LGBTQIA+ individuals, to the point to where he would allow for aforementioned-sexual activity marraiges or other non-traditional forms of matrimony via civil unions. These days, Pope Francis I is using his platform to support and advocate for the COVID-nineteen vaccine.
When it comes to the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II, information technology's likely that Francis would accept been equally forgivng as possible to the would-be assassinator as well. Pope Francis has openly supported youth activists advocating for gun reform, and has advocated for peace himself, and then he would probably want to find out how Ağca acquired the automatic weapon and ensure it would never happen again. Today, Italia, the country that surrounds Vatican City, does have strict gun control laws and even had the opportunity to ban gun buying for individual citizens the very same twelvemonth of the assassination endeavour.
Today, assassination attempts aren't the norm, but mass shootings are rather prevalent. With the world reopening up later the top of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unfortunate that gun violence is returning besides.This was a threat and so and information technology is now. Thankfully, there are figureheads like Pope Francis speaking out for the changes we need until those changes are fabricated.
Source: https://www.reference.com/history/john-paul-assassin?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740005%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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