== Assassination attempts ==
A [[Muslim]] assassin from [[Turkey]], Mehmet Ali Agca, shot Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1981 at St. Peter's Square. In critical condition, he was rushed to Gemelli Hospital with abdominal wounds and severe blood loss. The recovered pope would meet with Mehmet in prison to offer forgiveness. Years later, an [[Italian]] court ruled that the [[Soviets]] were involved in the plot, possibly done for his efforts in [[Poland]]'s Solidarity movement. [[CIA]] reports have [[Warsaw Pact]] nation Communist [[Bulgaria]] as a culprit.<ref>[httphttps://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8G3J3J00&show_article=1 Italian Panel: Soviets Behind Pope Attack] Ap, March 2, 2006</ref>
On May 13, 1982, an ultra-conservative Spanish monk named Juan Maria Fernandez y Krohn attacked Pope John Paul II with a bayonet in Fatima, Portugal. At the time, the pope concealed the fact from the public that Fernandez y Krohn had wounded him with the blade. The monk was sentenced to 6-1/2 years in prison for the attack.<ref>[http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/ChurchAndMinistry/PopeJohnPaulIITimeline.aspx Pope John Paul II Timeline]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7673443.stm Pope John Paul 'Wounded' in 1982]</ref>