On November 27, 1970, after disembarking from the plane at Manila Airport (Philippines), Pope Paul VI narrowly avoided being stabbed to death.
Upon exiting the plane, the Holy Father was greeted by various civil and ecclesiastical authorities. During this, a man dressed as a priest managed to approach him. The man was the Bolivian painter Benjamín Mendoza y Amor Flores, who suffered from mental health issues. He managed to reach the Pope with a knife very close to the jugular, wounding him twice. Those around thought it was a crucifix, not a weapon.
The Bolivian was immediately arrested after the attack. He was later pardoned by the Pontiff.
Archbishop Paul Marcinkus from the United States, nicknamed "The Gorilla" for his great height and build, was the one who prevented the man from stabbing the Pope again.
In gratitude for his bravery and for saving him, Pope Paul VI gifted the Prelate a chalice that he used on November 28, 1970, during a Mass for the ordination of several priests. This chalice is currently preserved in a seminary in Chicago (United States). In his first speech in the Philippines, Pope Paul VI said that "the purpose of our visit to Manila is of a spiritual and apostolic nature. Our happiness will be immense if such a journey reaffirms the Catholic faithful in their faith to manifest it in a sincere and coherent manner; if it encourages them in the pursuit of that happy fusion of their religious heritage with the new demands of a modern world."
"We would like to see consolidated their will to live in good harmony with all, to promote social development in the name of the charity of Christ of which they are witnesses, to value the civic virtues of integrity, selflessness, and service, similar, for everyone, since these virtues are the basis of the prosperity of great, free, and united peoples," added the holy Pope.
In October 2014, during the beatification ceremony of Paul VI, a reliquary with the blood-stained shirt worn by the Pontiff on the day of the attack in 1970 was presented in St. Peter's Square. The visit of Pope Paul VI to the Philippines took place as part of a long tour that included Iran, Pakistan, the Philippines, Samoa, Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka.
This was the last trip made by Pope Paul VI during his pontificate, spanning from November 26 to December 5, 1970.
This article was originally published on ACI Prensa.
Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He is based in St. Louis.
