To Kill the Pope: An Ecclesiastical Thriller Hardcover - 2000

From the publisher

In May 1981, in the middle of a motorcade in St. Peter's Square, Gregory XVII, the beloved but often controversial French pope, is shot three times at close range. The would-be assassin is quickly caught and identifies himself as Agca Circlic, a Turk belonging to an Islamic terrorist group. But the recovering Gregory XVII, who has both deep faith and a philosophical turn of mind, is not satisfied, and sets out to discover who really wants him dead. He contacts Tim Savage, an American Jesuit and a former member of the CIA, who soon discovers that the plot to kill the Pope originated not in the Middle East, but close to home....

To Kill the Pope is a fictional treatment of the real-life assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. In the course of researching his acclaimed biography of the Pope, Tad Szulc uncovered details about the presumed conspiracy that he was reluctant to reveal, out of deference to his sources, details that could have proven disruptive to the Roman Catholic Church. This information -- including actual CIA testimony before United States Senate committees, the Agency's internal reports, and findings by Italian courts and Interpol -- forms the basis for a shocking thriller that sheds new light on a key event in recent history.