The man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II, Mehmet Ali Agca, is surrounded by journalists in Ankara January 18, 2010. Agca, who tried to kill Pope John Paul II nearly 30 years ago was released from a Turkish prison on Monday, rekindling the mystery over whether he acted alone or had been hired by a Soviet-era secret service. He served 19 years in an Italian prison for the attack, before being pardoned on the pope's initiative in 2000, but was extradited to serve a sentence in his home country for other crimes including the 1979 murder of a newspaper editor. Reuters Pictures logo Reuters Pictures 2 months ago

The man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II, Mehmet Ali Agca, is surrounded by journalists in Ankara January 18, 2010. Agca, who tried to kill Pope John Paul II nearly 30 years ago was released from a Turkish prison on Monday, rekindling the mystery over whether he acted alone or had been hired by a Soviet-era secret service. He served 19 years in an Italian prison for the attack, before being pardoned on the pope's initiative in 2000, but was extradited to serve a sentence in his home country for other crimes including the 1979 murder of a newspaper editor.

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  1. A painting of late Pope John Paul II sits on display where a family camps outside their damaged home in Talcahuano, Chile, Sunday, March 7, 2010. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Chile on Feb. 27, causing widespread damage.
  2. An image of Pope John Paul II hangs on a home's wall that was cracked by an earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. A family of five was killed in the home when a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday.
  3. The spokesman of the diocese Regensburg Clemens Neck is seen in front of a painting showing Pope John Paul II in Regensburg, southern Germany, on Wednesday, March 10, 2010. The Roman Catholic diocese of Regensburg in southern Germany said it appointed an independent investigator to examine the allegations of physical and sexual abuse that have engulfed the prestigious Regensburger Domspatzen boys choir, which was led by the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, the pope's older brother, from 1964 until 1994. So far, the sexual abuse allegations predate Ratzinger's term.
  4. Italian Civil Protection Agency Chief Guido Bertolaso, center, makes a statement to journalists in Lamezia Terme, southern Italy, on his way to see a landslide-hit area in Maierato, near Vibo Valentia, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010. Italy's disaster relief chief has been the country's go-to guy for nearly a decade. Millions of mourners converge on Rome for Pope John Paul II's funeral. World leaders meet in Italy. Quake strikes L'Aquila. Call Guido Bertolaso. Now Bertolaso's name has been muddied by a widening scandal in which his agency has been accused of corruption in connection with contracts for last summer's Group of Eight summit. Bertolaso, who ruffled feathers in Washington with harsh words about U.S. efforts in Haiti, has denied any wrongdoing, and has offered to resign if his boss, Premier Silvio Berlusconi, thinks it would be best.
  5. Italian Civil Protection Agency Chief Guido Bertolaso waves from a van in Lamezia Terme, southern Italy, on his way to see a landslide-hit area in Maierato, near Vibo Valentia, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010. Italy's disaster relief chief has been the country's go-to guy for nearly a decade. Millions of mourners converge on Rome for Pope John Paul II's funeral. World leaders meet in Italy. Quake strikes L'Aquila. Call Guido Bertolaso. Now Bertolaso's name has been muddied by a widening scandal in which his agency has been accused of corruption in connection with contracts for last summer's Group of Eight summit. Bertolaso, who ruffled feathers in Washington with harsh words about U.S. efforts in Haiti, has denied any wrongdoing, and has offered to resign if his boss, Premier Silvio Berlusconi, thinks it would be best. Man in the background at right is unidentified.
  6. A statue of the Saint Agnes of Bohemia is lit by a spotlight in the Church of St.Castalus in central Prague February 16, 2010. Historians on Tuesday started removing stone slabs under the church's altar in a quest to find the remains of the 13th century Saint Agnes of Bohemia, canonized by Pope John Paul II 20 years ago. Legend says that finding her remains will bring prosperity and peace to the country.
  7. The hand of a statue is seen above historians removing stone slabs under an altar in the church of St.Castalus in central Prague February 16, 2010 where a local conservationist believes the tomb of the 13th century Czech Saint Agnes of Bohemia, canonized by Pope John Paul II 20 years ago, is buried. Legend says that finding her remains will bring prosperity and peace to the country.
  8. Historians dig under the altar in the church of St.Castalus in central Prague February 16, 2010 where a local conservationist believes the remains of the 13th century Czech Saint Agnes of Bohemia, canonized by Pope John Paul II 20 years ago, are buried. Legend says that finding her remains will bring prosperity and peace to the country.
  9. Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, the Archbishop of Prague, poses next to the statue of St.Agnes of Bohemia in the Church of St.Castalus in central Prague February 16, 2010. Historians have started removing stone slabs under the church's altar, which a local conservationist believes cover the tomb of the 13th century Czech Saint Agnes of Bohemia, canonized by Pope John Paul II 20 years ago. Legend says that finding her remains will bring prosperity and peace to the country.
  10. Historians remove stone slabs under an altar in the church of St.Castalus in central Prague February 16, 2010. A local conservationist believes the slabs cover the tomb of the 13th century Czech Saint Agnes of Bohemia, canonized by Pope John Paul II 20 years ago. Legend says that finding her remains will bring prosperity and peace to the country.
  11. Historians remove stone slabs under an altar in the church of St.Castalus in central Prague February 16, 2010. A local conservationist believes the slabs cover the tomb of the 13th century Czech Saint Agnes of Bohemia, canonized by Pope John Paul II 20 years ago. Legend says that finding her remains will bring prosperity and peace to the country.
  12. Cardinal Miloslav Vlk poses by a statue of St. Agnes as archeologists start to work on removing stones under an altar in the church of St. Castalus which a local conservationist believes cover the tomb of the 13th century Czech Saint Agnes of Bohemiain, in Prague, Czech Republic Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010. St. Agnes was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1989 and the legend says that finding her remains will bring prosperity and peace to the Czech lands.
  13. Archeologists work on removing stones under an altar in the church of St. Castalus which a local conservationist believes cover the tomb of the 13th century Czech Saint Agnes of Bohemiain, in Prague, Czech Republic Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010. St. Agnes was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1989 and the legend says that finding her remains will bring prosperity and peace to the Czech lands.
  14. Msgr. Slawomir Oder, the Vatican official in charge of the process that could lead to Roman Catholic sainthood for John Paul II, speaks next to his book during a news conference in Rome January 26, 2010. The book, called "Why a Saint?" includes some previously unpublished documents and reveals that the late Pope John Paul flagellated himself regularly to emulate Christ's suffering and signed a secret document saying that would resign instead of ruling for life if he became incurably ill, the new book shows.
  15. Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the postulator, or main promoter for John Paul II's canonization, gestures during the presentation of the book "Why He's a Saint", in Rome, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010. Pope John Paul II decided to forgive his would-be assassin while he was in the ambulance on his way to the hospital moments after being shot in St. Peter's Square, according to a new book by the Polish prelate spearheading his sainthood case. The revelation is contained in one of the many previously unpublished speeches and memos drafted by John Paul that are contained in the book, including two documents in which he outlined the criteria for which he would resign if he became incapacitated. The book, "Why He's a Saint" also confirms that John Paul practiced self-mortification _ he whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation _ and frequently slept naked on the floor as acts of penitence.
  16. Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, head of the Vatican's saint-making office, gestures during the presentation of the book "Why He's a Saint", in Rome, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010. Pope John Paul II decided to forgive his would-be assassin while he was in the ambulance on his way to the hospital moments after being shot in St. Peter's Square, according to a new book by the Polish prelate spearheading his sainthood case. The revelation is contained in one of the many previously unpublished speeches and memos drafted by John Paul that are contained in the book, including two documents in which he outlined the criteria for which he would resign if he became incapacitated. The book, "Why He's a Saint" also confirms that John Paul practiced self-mortification, he whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation, and frequently slept naked on the floor as acts of penitence. The book was written by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the postulator, or main promoter, for John Paul's canonization cause and was released Tuesday.

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  2. Hamburg's Ruud van Nistelrooy, in front, lies on the ground after fouling Schalke's Alexander Baumjohann during the German first division Bundesliga soccer match between Hamburger SV and FC Schalke 04 in Hamburg, Germany, Sunday, March 21, 2010.
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  9. JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - MARCH 21: In this handout image supplied by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO), United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon (L) meets with Isralei Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Israeli leader's Jerusalem offices on March 21, 2010 in Jerusalem, Israel. Ban had just returned from a day's visit to the Gaza Strip and Netanyahu, after meeting George Mitchell, the US specal envoy to the Middle East, will leave this evening for a short visit to the US.
  10. Police try to control people trying to get a better view of the cremation of Girija Prasad Koirala at Pashupati Nath Temple in Kathmandu March 21, 2010. Former Nepali Prime Minister Koirala, who helped broker peace with the former Maoist rebels to end a decade-long civil war, died on Saturday after an illness, officials said. The six-time prime minister passed away at the age of 86 at his daughter's home in Kathmandu, where thousands of supporters had gathered.
  11. The Netherlands' Ted-Jan Bloemen reacts after his men's 10000 meters World Speed Skating Championships all round race at the Thialf Stadium in Heerenveen March 21, 2010.
  12. A pie made in the shape of a bird hangs from a tree branch at a folklore festival near the village of Ozertso on the outskirts of Minsk, March 21, 2010.
  13. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, left, meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 21, 2010. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, who was touring the Gaza Strip Sunday wants a nearly three-year blockade of Gaza lifted and said Israel's recent opening of Gaza's borders to allow in window frames and other supplies to complete a 151-apartment U.N. housing project in southern Gaza was "a drop in a bucket of water."
  14. Hamburg's Jonathan Pitroipa, left, and Schalke's Jefferson Farfan challenge for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga soccer match between Hamburger SV and FC Schalke 04 in the stadium in Hamburg, northern Germany, on Sunday, March 21, 2010.
  15. Hamburg's Ruud van Nistelrooy reacts during the German first division Bundesliga soccer match between Hamburger SV and FC Schalke 04 in the stadium in Hamburg, northern Germany, on Sunday, March 21, 2010.
  16. Relatives of Mohammed Quawareeq mourn over his body during his funeral in the West Bank village of Awarta, near Nablus, Sunday, March 21, 2010. Quawareeq and another Palestinian man were killed Sunday by Israeli troops. The Israeli military says troops have shot dead two Palestinians in the West Bank who tried to stab a soldier.