Posted on 02/21/2005 2:02:23 PM PST by Land of the Irish
WARSAW (Reuters) - In a new book, Pope John Paul recalls that after a near-fatal shooting in 1981 he was "already on the other side," but says that before losing consciousness he felt confident he would survive.
In "Memory and Identity," which includes transcripts of the Pope's conversations with friends in 1993, the Pontiff repeats his conviction that divine intervention saved him from death, guiding the bullet that hit him away from vital organs.
The book is due to be published in Italy next week. In Polish-language extracts provided to Reuters by Polish publisher Znak, the Roman Catholic leader also discusses freedom, patriotism and European integration.
In one of the conversations about the assassination-bid, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Pope's secretary, recalls that at the doctors' request he read the Last Rites when the Pope's blood pressure and heart rate fell dangerously low.
"Actually, I was already on the other side," the Pope says.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Ping
"Surprise!" ping.
What is the surprise?
Sorry. I guess a sarcasm tag WAS needed after all.
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