Man who shot Pope freed from jail

The Turkish man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II nearly 25 years ago was released from a Turkish prison on Thursday.

Agca, 48, shot the Pope in St Peter's Square in 1981 hitting him four times, but has never explained why. The pontiff later visited him in jail and publicly forgave him.

Mehmet Ali Agca, served nearly 20 years in Italian jails for the attempted murder before being pardoned by the Italian government. The Vatican had described the Pope as 'very happy' about the pardon, before his death.

It had said that John Paul II was particularly pleased because the clemency was granted during the Roman Catholic Church's Holy Year, the theme of which was to pardon and forgiveness.

The BBC reports on unproved allegations of Soviet 'involvment', though mysteries still linger over the attack. One of the Italian judges who tried Agca says he fears for the safety of the Turk after his release from prison. Ali Agca now has grey hair and he is 48 years old. He knows too many secrets, the judge said.

According to the BBC, the latest bizarre twist in this long-lasting mystery story is that Agca himself says he wants to return to Rome as soon as possible to meet John Paul's successor, Pope Benedict.