New Revelation: Pope John Paul II Was Wounded By Crazed Priest A Year After Famous Assassination Attempt

The world will never forget one of the most alarming moments caught on film. It was that terrible day in May 1981 when Mehmet Ali Agca aimed a gun at Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square and pulled the trigger. It’s a moment forever frozen in history that the whole world knows about the late pontiff and it led to the creation of the now widely used Popemobile.

But here’s something you never knew. It turns out the late leader of the Roman Catholic church was also the target of a separate assassination attempt by a radical priest, who actually drew blood in the attack. 

It’s just one of the revelations contained in a new documentary about the spiritual man and it’s based on reflections from someone who should know: Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul’s former private secretary and his closest aide.

The second murder attempt on the head of the Roman Catholic church happened a year after the Vatican incident, when the Pope was visiting the shrine of Fatima in Portugal, to give thanks for surviving the shooting.

His confidant says that’s where a crazed ultra-conservative Spanish priest named Juan Fernandez Krohn came after him with a knife, springing on the surprised pontiff before being wrestled away by authorities.

News of the attack spread throughout the world but up until now, it was never known that the Pope was actually struck by the blade and suffered a wound because of it.

Vatican officials decided not to disclose the information that the attacker actually drew blood. “I can now reveal that the Holy Father was wounded,” Dziwisz explains in the film. “When we got back to the room (in the Fatima sanctuary complex) there was blood.”

But John Paul wasn’t badly injured and refused to stop his trip, carrying on despite the pain.

Krohn spent several years in jail for the crime and was eventually expelled from the country on his release.

John Paul’s brave battle with Parkinson’s disease was an inspiration to people of all faiths but his aide reveals it took its toll on the man.

Towards the end, the Pope could no longer speak and had to undergo a tracheotomy to help him breathe. As he was being wheeled back to his apartment after the operation, the man who was fluent in so many languages managed to say one of the last sentences he ever uttered.

“If I can’t speak any more, it’s time for me to go,” he concluded in a hoarse whisper.

A few days later, on April 2, 2005, that time finally came and the world mourned the death of one of its most admired leaders.

The film, “Testimony”, which is narrated by British actor Michael York, made its official debut at the Vatican on Thursday night with Pope Benedict, John Paul’s successor, in attendance. It’s not yet clear when it might be released to the public.

For more on the film, click here.

See a trailer for the flick here.

Photo credit: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images