Pope John Paul II waves to the cheering

Pope John Paul II waves to the cheering crowd 12 May 1991 as he walks behind the statue of the Virgin of Fatima prior to celebrates a mass in the Chapel of the Apparition in Fatima where about a million believers attended the Procession of Candles. In 1997, the pope dedicated a shrine in a Polish church to the Virgin of Fatima, thanking her for intervening to save him from an assassination attempt in 1981. The Pontiff said that surviving the assassination attempt against him 13 May 1981 by Turkish terrorist Ali Agca was a miracle thanks to the "intervention of the Virgin of Fatima", who "deflected the bullet" fired at point-blank range. The Catholic church also believes the Virgin of Fatima intervened to bring an end to the Soviet regime after asking the three shepherd children to pray for the "conversion" of Russia. The Pontiff visited Portugal from 10 to 13 May 1991. It was his 50th International Pastoral visit. . (Photo credit should read DERRICK CEYRAC/AFP via Getty Images)