Vatican News: Pope Leo XIV paused in silent prayer on Tuesday at the exact spot in St Peter’s Square where St John Paul II was shot during an assassination attempt in 1981, offering a powerful moment of remembrance before the weekly General Audience at the Vatican.
As Pope travelled through the crowds in the popemobile, he stopped near a white marble plaque placed among the cobblestones of the square. The plaque marks the place where St John Paul II was seriously wounded by gunfire on May 13, 1981. Pope Leo XIV then knelt in prayer, recalling one of the darkest moments in the history of the modern papacy.
The date also coincided with the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, a devotion closely linked to St John Paul II. Speaking later during the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV reminded pilgrims that the assassination attempt took place forty five years ago on the same day.
“Today we remember the memorial of Our Lady of Fatima. On this day, forty five years ago, an attempt was made on Pope John Paul II’s life, and for these reasons, I dedicated my catechesis today to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” the Pope said while greeting English speaking pilgrims.
St John Paul II always believed that the Virgin Mary protected him and saved his life during the attack. After recovering from his injuries, he often spoke about the intercession of Mary and maintained a deep spiritual connection to the message of Fatima. One of the bullets removed from his body was later placed in the crown of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.
Addressing Portuguese speaking pilgrims, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the faithful to look toward the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, where Mary appeared to three shepherd children in 1917 with a message of prayer and peace.
Pope said pilgrims gathering at Fatima from around the world are a sign that people continue to seek comfort, unity and hope during difficult times. He also called for prayers for peace, especially for countries suffering because of war and violence.
“Let us entrust to the Immaculate Heart of Mary the cry for peace and harmony rising from every part of the world, especially from peoples afflicted by war,” the Pope said.
The assassination attempt against St John Paul II shocked the world in 1981. Pope had been greeting pilgrims from an open vehicle before his Wednesday audience when Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Ağca fired several shots at close range. John Paul II was struck in the abdomen and seriously injured before being rushed to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for emergency surgery.
The Vatican later announced that although Pope’s condition was serious, there were strong hopes for recovery. Just four days after the attack, John Paul II addressed the faithful from his hospital bed during the Regina Caeli prayer and publicly forgave the man who tried to kill him.
In a deeply emotional message, Pope said he was praying for his attacker and entrusted himself once again to the protection of the Virgin Mary with the words “Totus tuus ego sum,” meaning “I am entirely yours.”
Pope Leo XIV’s silent prayer at the memorial spot on Tuesday served as both a tribute to his predecessor and a reminder of faith, forgiveness and hope even in moments of suffering.