Commission says Soviets behind attempt to kill John Paul

An Italian parliamentary commission has concluded that the Soviet Union was behind the 1981 attempt to kill Pope John Paul II, a theory long alleged, but never proved.

“This commission believes, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the leaders of the Soviet Union took the initiative to eliminate Pope Karol Wojtyla,” said a draft of the commission’s report, a copy of which was made available today to The Associated Press. Wojtyla was John Paul’s Polish name.