World | Pope John Paul II John Paul II's Attacker Wants Vatican Baptism Man who shot pontiff seeks ceremony after prison release By Matt Cantor Posted May 13, 2009 1:46 PM CDT Copied Pope John Paul II, right, and Romanian Orthodox Patriarch Teoctist, left, arrive for a ceremony at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest Friday, May 7, 1999. (AP Photo/Massimo Sambucetti) The man who shot Pope John Paul II gets out of prison in January—and when he does, he wants to be baptized at the Vatican, his lawyer says. Over the years, Mehmet Ali Agca has claimed to be the Messiah or Jesus Christ, fueling speculation about his mental health and the possibility that he had converted to Christianity. But his lawyer tells the AP Agca’s “not formally a Christian.” Read These Next White House makes Hegseth put his polygraph away. A new book argues the Sacagawea legend is all wrong. 11 people hurt in a "brutal act of violence" in Michigan. The NFL's heaviest player told to slim down. Report an error