New Documentary Reveals Pope John Paul II Was Secretly Attacked By Spanish Priest

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, former secretary to Pope John Paul II, is opening up about an attack on the former Pope that was kept under wraps until now. In the documentary Testimony, the cardinal reveals that back in 1982, Pope John Paul II was attacked by a deranged Spanish priest while visiting Portugal. The attack occurred during a ceremony in Fatima during which the Pope thanked the Virgin Mary for saving his life after an assassination attempt by Turkish right-wing extremist Mehmet Ali Agca:

During the Fatima ceremony a right wing Spanish priest, Juan Fernandez Krohn, attacked the pontiff with a dagger. The priest was tackled by police and disarmed. The event was reported at the time but downplayed, and the fact that the Pope was injured was suppressed. “I can now reveal that the Holy Father was wounded” Cardinal Dziwisz says. “There was blood”.

Father Krohn was arrested and served a sentence in a Portuguese prison before being expelled.

Although, frankly, have you, personally, ever met a Spanish priest who did not try to murder you? No? Not a Catholic school kid then, are you? Anyway. This post reminds us that we kind of miss the old Papa. Cardinal Dziwisz told the press that this documentary, which will be shown at the Vatican, will ensure that Pope John Paul II will never be forgotten. But we don’t think there’s a chance of that happening anyway.

Attack on Pope kept secret [Times Online]