[Aussie Dasher]

Is the mosaic going up?

[Salvation]

**This was a bold statement from Pope Benedict XVI this morning to the new cardinals and all Catholics on the role the Virgin played in deviating Ali Agca's bullet. **

We all knew that Pope John Paul II had an undying love for the Blessed Mother.

[Salvation]

I'm going to be posting this link at all the junctures that bring up the life and death of John Paul II -- hope it is OK with you.

John Paul II Gallery of Pictures [Photos]

[NYer]

And today, looking at the window that is now his after the previous pope's papacy, Benedict XVI added, "in memory of that tragic event, Pope John Paul II wanted a mosaic of the Virgin to be placed high above the Apostolic Palace, overlooking St. Peter's Square.

Would be most obliged if someone could post the graphic of that image. Thank you!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

[Invincibly Ignorant]

Were there any eyewitnesses? Or are we required to take JPII's word for it? Just wondering.

[Tax-chick]

John Paul II fervently believed that Our Lady of Lourdes saved his life. There's nothing controversial about Pope Benedict's stating the same belief.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Totus Tuus! I sure miss him.

[rwfromkansas]

lol

[topher]

There is the story that the bullet that struck the pontiff on May 13, 1981 took a very strange path.

There are reports that some say an invisible hand blocked the bullet from striking vital organs. (In other words, the bullet's path was not straight, and that was peculiar, for if it had taken a straight path, it would have struck vital organs).

On the one year anniversary of the attempt on the pontiff's life, Pope John Paul II decided to be in Fatima, Portugal on May 13, 1982. He supposedly requested information on Fatima (the apparitions) while he was convalescing from the attempted assination.

I wonder if there are any medical records to prove/disprove that the bullet did not take a straight path.

This is documented in at least one book about Fatima (I believe the one by Robert Fox).

It is interesting to note that May 13, 1981 is an interesting date. If one reverses the "81" into "18", one has the May 13, 1918 - the first Anniversary of Fatima.

The book 1984 gets it title as the author took the year 1948 and reversed the last two digits to give a time frame for his story... Perhaps of interest...

[BooksForTheRight.com]

Where does it say that Mary saved his life?