Man who shot Pope John Paul II to be released, wants to be baptised by Pope Benedict

Examiner.com ^ | 12/26/09 | Martin Hill

[Stephen25]

Man who shot Pope John Paul II to be released, wants to be baptised by Pope Benedict

Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot Pope John Paul II four times in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981, is eligible for release next month, January 2010.

Agca was originally sentenced to life in prison for the shooting, but was pardoned in June 2000 by Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, with the Pope's blessings. Pope John Paul II had met with Agca in prison on Dec. 27, 1983 and forgave him. Agca spent 19 years and one month in the Italian prison. At the time of his release, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told RAI television "regarding the truth of what happened May 13 1981, history can still uncover many things".

Agca is currently seeking Polish citizenship, and a Rome Reports video from May 2009 states Agca "will be released next January."

Pope Benedict, who was attacked by a crazed woman at Midnight Mass December 24th, , is said to be doing fine. 87 year old Roger Marie Élie Cardinal Etchegaray , however, fell down and broke his femur in the attack, which can be an injury with very serious consequences for elderly people.

In March 2006, An Italian parliamentary commission officially concluded that the U.S.S.R. was behind Agca's 1981 assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II. BBC quoted from the commission's findings, which read in part "This commission believes, beyond all reasonable doubt, that the leaders of the USSR took the initiative to eliminate Pope Karol Wojtyla".

Before shooting the Pope in 1981, Agca had spent time in an Istanbul prison for the February 1, 1979 murder of journalist Abdi Ipekci, but had escaped from the Turkish prison after six months. Thus, he was extradicted and flown directly from Rome in 2006 to complete his prison sentence in Turkey.

Controversy also surrounded the murder of Ipekci, largely because of Agca's involvement with intelligence operations tied to the U.S. CIA. Agca was "known to have been a member of the Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves organization".

[Article continues here].

[goseminoles]

What the hells wrong with people?

[wastedyears]

I hope Poland won’t grant him citizenship. They’re a great Catholic nation.

In my opinion, some things aren’t worthy of being forgiven.

[Pontiac]

In my opinion, some things aren’t worthy of being forgiven.

I doubt that I could forgive a man that tried to murder me, especially one doing so for political reasons.

On the other hand Jesus forgave all of us for murdering him in a most brutally sadistic way.

How could his anointed representative on Earth not forgive a man who simply shot him?

[happinesswithoutpeace]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2415590/posts

get in here and muzak. now!

[eyedigress]

He can be Babtised by his home Priest. The Pope can send his blessing. End of Story.

[eyedigress]

That is a view left for God.

[chopperman]

I’m confused. He was pardoned in 2000 but not yet released?

[markomalley]

In my opinion, some things aren’t worthy of being forgiven.

No offense, but this is yet another example of why I am glad that man is not in charge of my being forgiven or not.

If Jesus can say "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" to those who crucified him, I am severely constrained with whom I will pronounce damnation.

As far as him being baptized, if he has repented of his sins and accepts Jesus as being the son of God, who suffered, died, was buried, and rose again for the forgiveness of sins and for the promise of our being raised in the end, then I say, bring on the water.

As to the Pope baptizing him, that's between those two and God. I think it would make a profound statement...and there is precedent (you will, of course, recall, that the Pope baptized Magdi Allam, a prominent Muslim journalist, during the Easter Vigil back in 2008). I am absolutely confident that JPII would have gladly done so.

[SoftwareEngineer]

These are the kinds of things that let me know I am not just ready for the Kingdom of Heaven.

I am trying my very best everyday to learn to forgive and move on. It is VERY VERY difficult.

God wants us to love and forgive those who repent and seems like this man has repented.

However the difference between God and me, your dashing Software Engineer, is that if someone tried to kill me, I would still hate him.

Yes, I said the “H” word. That is exactly why I need to pray a lot to get better.

[rom]

Keep your eye fixed upon Jesus, and the more that you fall in love with His image (spiritual image, not physical image) — the more you will yearn to be like Him.

Spend time immersed in His Word, read 1 Corinthians 13 (read this one in a modern translation as the KJV uses charity instead of love — the modern meaning of charity has been subverted), read the stories of God’s love for His creation as expressed through Jesus’ parables, etc. How He said that He came for the sick and not the healthy, for people like you and I.

And remember that He said that by the love we show, all men will know that we are His disciples. That’s the mark of a Christian.

Your heart will change. Run hard after Him and keep an eternal perspective. This life is short, we are all appointed to die. And remember, this change is done by Him, not your own effort. Which is why if you try to forgive on your own — you will fail.

I’ve experienced this sort of transformation in some profound ways.

[SoftwareEngineer]

Thank you for the kind words and advice. Much appreciated.

[rom]

Hey, I just noticed that you and I are both Software Engineers and we both moved to Texas as fast as we could :)

I’m from California originally, moved to Texas this October.

I notice on your homepage that you love God above all things. In doing so, you fulfill the Greatest Commandment. That’s awesome :)

---

One of the things that struck out at me when teaching on Galatians this last year was that in Genesis we read those amazing words where God states, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness”. The Fall happens, and we are separated from God.

Then Jesus comes back, and shows us what the image of God is like. And we are exhorted in the New Testament to be conformed to His image, His likeness.

It’s this beautiful picture of redemption — we who were once created in God’s very likeness spiritually have lost that connection, then Jesus comes to show us what God is like (as He is the very image of God - Colossians 1:15) and that we are to put on the new self that is being renewed into the image of its Creator (Colossians 3:10)! So here we see the circuit complete. Man who once was created in the Godhead’s likeness, is slowly being drawn back to that likeness through the sanctification that occurs through Christ.

But see how Paul writes that it is a process. It didn’t happen immediately. It is *being* renewed. We won’t be fully like Him until we meet Him. So it gives both hope and encouragement when there are setbacks on our spiritual journey back to Him.

---

Sorry for the mini-sermon, I got carried away. LOL.

Anyway, have fun on your adventure running after Him!

[My Favorite Headache]

Shoot a U.S. President...get a decade or 2 and then sent out for release to parents house and shopping etc...shoot a Pope...get a few decades in prison and start over.

There is absolutely no true justice left in this world.

[My Favorite Headache]

Hit post too quickly...wanted to add...

Sell a bunch of pot and get arrested 3 times for it...wind up in prison for the same sentence if not 3 strikes LIFE sentence. Yep, everything makes all the sense in the world.

[rbmillerjr]

If you read the article, the guy was sending letters to the Pope requesting that he not come to Turkey and he had (from within prison) had contacts with the CIA.

The guy still sounds insane to me.

Either that, or worse, he is still a dedicated Marxist working still operating in his own mind. Pope John Paul and Reagan both went a long way to destabilize and delegitimize the USSR. Those old warbirds in the Politburo tried to kill the Pope. They wouldn’t have chosen a lightweight to do it.

I question this man’s release.

[wastedyears]

Last I remember, Jesus was Jewish, and it was they who crucified him. Unless he’s blaming all of humanity...