Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

40 years since the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II

Photo: Library

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square in Rome. The Bulgarian Sergei Antonov, an employee of the BGA Balkan office in Rome, was accused of complicity in the attack on May 13, 1981. The news of the "Bulgarian trace" in the attempted assassination travelled around the world in a flash.

On March 29, 1986, an Italian court acquitted Antonov, and the assassin, Ali Agca, remained in prison for life. On April 1, 1986, after 1,222 days behind bars in an Italian prison, Antonov returned to Sofia in a severe physical and mental condition, diagnosed with cerebral atrophy caused by psychotropic drugs which, according to doctors, were forcibly administered to him in prison.
In May 2002, during his official visit to Bulgaria at a meeting with President Georgi Parvanov, Pope John Paul II stated: "I never believed in the so-called Bulgarian trace in the assassination attempt against me, it was an insinuation and a great injustice to the Bulgarian people.”. 
You can read more on this topic HERE.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Rain and snow expected on Christmas Day

On Wednesday, cold air will invade the country from the north-northeast. It will be cloudy. Rain is in the forecast for almost all Bulgarian regions. There will be significant precipitation in some places. It will snow in the Pre-Balkans and on..

published on 12/24/24 5:20 PM
 Petar Teodosiev

Bulgarian scientists start work on a project for cleaner transport and energy

From the beginning of 2025, Bulgarian scientists will work on a large-scale project related to hydrogen and hydrogen technologies to help develop cleaner transport and energy, science communicator Petar Teodosiev said in an interview for BNR.  In his..

published on 12/24/24 4:26 PM
Professor Rumen Popov

The number of blood donors increases

One thousand more blood donations were made in the past year at the Center for Transfusion Hematology of the Military Medical Academy, the medical institution reported. "The number of blood donors exceeded 7,000 – half of them are civilian..

published on 12/24/24 3:53 PM