In 1983 Mehmet Ali Agca was in the midst of the crowd in St. Peter’s Square. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II. He was arrested and imprisoned. In January 1984 the Pope visited the prison, and when he walked through the cell door, he said to the young man, “I forgive you.”

The papers in the city of Rome made much of it, but one editorial writer made a significant statement. He wrote, “Of course, the Pope forgives the man who tried to kill him. After all, he is the Pope, and forgiveness is his business.” (1)

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1. “Magic Eyes,” The Rev. Dr. William L. Self, Day 1, 2004, http://www.day1.net/index.