P139 BEEBFAX 122 Thu 31 Dec --:--/--                                   An attempt was made on his life on May  13th. As he entered St Peter's Square  John Paul II was shot and critically  wounded by Mehmet Agca, striking him  in the abdomen and perforating his  colon and small intestine multiple  times. John Paul II was rushed to the  Gemelli Hospital. En route to the  hospital, he lost consciousness. Even  though the bullets missed main  arteries he lost nearly three-quarters  of his blood. He underwent five hours  of surgery to treat massive blood loss  and abdominal wounds.  The pope later stated that Our Lady of  Fatima helped keep him alive  throughout his ordeal.   Next       Prev       Home        End