Reflecting on Forgiveness 43 Years After the Pope Was Shot

Pope St John Paul II was shot and nearly killed 43 years ago today.

He was speaking at his regular Wednesday appearance in St Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981, when a Turkish gunman fired four shots.

The Pope, who was hit in the abdomen and the hand, only survived after five hours of surgery. He lived another 24 years.

Four days after the assassination attempt, speaking from his hospital bed, Pope John Paul II told journalists he forgave “the brother who struck me." 

The gunman, Ali Ağca, was sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder.

On December 27, 1983, the Pope met Ali Ağca, and forgave him to his face.

He told reporters after the meeting …

"We met as fellow human beings and as brothers.”

A photo of their encounter was published on the cover of Time magazine, with the headline …

"Why Forgive?" 

But the Pope went further. He campaigned for Ağca to be pardoned and, in June 2000, the Italian government released him.

While Time magazine was amazed at the Pope’s willingness to forgive, Christians understood it as a reflex reaction.

After all, if God has forgiven us, how can we hold anything against anyone else?

Just last month, here in Sydney, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly set upon by a knife wielding Islamist.

Mar Mari was repeatedly stabbed in the face, losing sight in one eye.

Lost in the media reports was the fact that in the immediate aftermath of the attack, even as he lay on the ground in agony, Mar Mari was praying for his attacker.

As Alexander Pope’s famous poem taught, to err is human, but to forgive is divine.

Many years ago my best friend growing up, Kingsley, was killed by a drunk driver.

During the subsequent court case Kingsley’s parents sat with the parents of the drunk driver, consoling them as they faced the prospect of their son being jailed.

Kingsley’s parents used their victim impact statement to plead for leniency to be shown toward their son’s killer.

“We have lost our son and nothing can bring him back,” they said. “Please don’t deprive this other family of their son. We forgive him.”

I remember the reporter at the Gold Coast Bulletin being incredulous.

After all, there was a television campaign running at that very time exclaiming that “if you drink and drive you’re a bloody idiot!”

Was the driver not a bloody idiot deserving of a long prison term?

Kingsley’s parents explained as simply as they could that as Christians they were hyper aware of God’s forgiveness for every offence they themselves had ever committed.

How could they not extend that same grace to others - even to the one had taken their own son’s life.

And isn’t that what God the Father had done for us?

The Gold Coast Bulletin ran the story on their front page.

Grace is always amazing.

It’s difficult to understand how the Pope, or Mar Mari Emmanuel, or Kingsley’s parents, could forgive.

Difficult, that is, until you understand God’s grace toward you.

Have a brilliant day. And be kind that idiot who cuts you off in traffic this afternoon :)