Pope Meets With Mother of Agca
Associated Press
VATICAN CITY —
The mother of the man who shot Pope John Paul II met the pontiff Friday, tearfully clasping his hands and asking his forgiveness.
“I have already done so,” John Paul told Muzeyyen Agca, 50, mother of Mehmet Ali Agca.
The meeting, in the papal library, was recounted by Vatican officials.
Within days of Agca’s May 13, 1981, attempt on his life, the pontiff announced that he had decided to pardon his would-be killer. In December, 1983, the Pope visited Agca’s prison cell to personally relay the pardon.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
