A semiconductor wafer (Photo credit: http://www.oshaliang.com)

Telephones, cell phones, TV sets, computers, radio devices, modern refrigerators, remote controls, and many more—what do these things have in common? Aside from being ran by electricity (direct current or battery), all these electronic devices use one special component: the semiconductor. The semiconductor is said to have contributed to the foundation of modern electronics. Without it, electronic devices will not function properly and efficiently.

Semiconductors in Focus

You will find a semiconductor at the heart of every electronic device. Specifically, it can be found in devices with transistors, diodes, and integrated circuits (ICs). A semiconductor exhibits electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and that of an insulator. This conductivity is almost as high as that of a metal at high temperatures and nearly absent at low temperatures.

Photo source: iStockPhoto

Most semiconductors are made of silicon (Si) because this element is inexpensive, easy to process, and has the right temperature range. Aside from Si, the element germanium (Ge), and the compounds gallium arsenide (GaAs) and silicon carbide (SiC), are also used in making semiconductors.

Si and Ge belong to a group of elements called metalloids or semimetals. These elements possess characteristics which are intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals. Metals are conductors of electricity while nonmetals are not. Materials that do not conduct electricity are called insulators.

A silicon carbide lattice from doping silicon and carbon. (Photo source: http://www.nature.com)

Pure Si is an insulator, so if Si is used as a semiconductor in most electronic devices, how can it conduct electricity? The answer lies in a process called doping. The behavior of electrons in Si and other semiconductor materials can be altered and the material can become a conductor by means of doping. In this process, impurities are intentionally added into a pure semiconductor to change its electrical properties.

There are two types of doping process: N-type and P-type. In N-type doping, elements such as phosphorous or arsenic is added to the pure semiconductor, giving it an extra electron which has nothing to bond to and is thus, free to move around. This gives the semiconductor a negative charge.

Meanwhile, in P-type doping, elements like boron and gallium create a “hole” in the crystal lattice of a pure semiconductor by taking away weakly bound electrons in its atom. This gives the semiconductor a positive charge.

Integrated circuits

After a semiconductor has been doped, it can now be made into a diode, a transistor, or an IC. A diode is the simplest semiconductor device. It allows flow of current in one direction only when it is used. Diodes block the current in one direction while letting the current flow in another direction. They are used to rectify radio frequency signals, convert electricity, and as temperature-measuring devices, among others.

A transistor amplifies and switches electronic signals and current flow. Simple radios, calculators, and many other devices use transistors. Nowadays, most transistors are being embedded in ICs. ICs are miniature electronic circuits. They are the foundation of modern electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, and digital appliances.

Indeed, semiconductors are truly one of the most remarkable inventions of the 20th century.

Fungi

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycosis
http://www.microbiologybytes.com/iandi/6a.html

This description of the atom held true for centuries until the late 19th and early 20th centuries when physicists discovered that an atom is composed of several subatomic particles. This showed that the atom is, actually, still divisible.

Atoms are too small to be seen even with the aid of powerful microscopes, thus, scientists rely on models to describe what the atom looks like based on experiments and studies conducted earlier.

Dalton's atom model

The year was 460 B.C. when the atom was first conceptualized. However, it was not until 1803 when English chemist John Dalton, after performing a series of experiments, put together some pieces of evidence to support the idea of the atom. Dalton asserted that there was indeed a fundamental structure in every element. Back then, there were no tools to possibly verify nor disprove his assertion. However, because the proofs that Dalton presented were strong, his idea was accepted. Dalton’s model of an atom was a spherical object, just like a ball or a marble.

In 1897, British physicist Joseph John “J.J.” Thomson discovered the electron, a negatively-charged particle which is a part of the atom. Its discovery shattered the concept that the atom is indivisible. It also raised problems for physicists because atoms were known to be electrically neutral. If it has a negatively charged particle, it

Plum-pudding model

must also have a positively charged particle in order to be neutral. Where was this particle located?

Thomson solved this problem by conceptualizing the plum pudding model. This describes the atom as a sphere of positively-charged particle with electrons embedded on it (like raisins in a plum pudding). The electrons are regularly spaced to make the atom neutral.

In 1911, however, Thomson’s model was disproved by British chemist Ernest Rutherford after he discovered that an atom contains a massive nucleus of positively-charged particles. Rutherford arrived at this discovery after conducting an experiment in which he bombarded a gold foil with alpha particles. The results showed that while most of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil, some were deflected.

After careful studying, Rutherford concluded that an atom must be mostly empty space with a positively charged nucleus and that the electrons orbit around it. He deduced that the electrons were too light to have an effect on the faster and heavier alpha particles. However, it was not until 1919 that Rutherford was able to identify the positively-charged particles in the nucleus. He named them protons. Rutherford also discovered that the mass of the protons is more than 1800 times greater than that of electrons.

Physicists, however, still had a problem with Rutherford’s model. The law of electromagnetism dictates that opposite charges attract and that charged particles moving in a curved path (in this case, an orbit) emit electromagnetic radiation that makes them gradually lose energy and spiral inward. Following this law, the electrons must lose energy while orbiting and spiral toward the nucleus of the atom. However, this does not seem to occur in Rutherford’s model.

Planetary model

In 1913, Danish physicist Niels Bohr came up with a theory to support Rutherford’s model. According to Bohr, electrons orbit the nucleus in the same way planets orbit around the sun. He called his model the planetary model.

In Bohr’s model, electrons can only orbit at certain distances from the nucleus. These orbits are called energy levels. Electrons in each energy level have a fixed energy and are stable. They are only allowed to move either to the next higher or lower level. They also gain or lose certain amount of energy in the process.

The atom remains stable because the electron in the lowest orbit does not have any lower energy level to jump into. These restrictions to an electron’s movement prevent it from falling toward the nucleus. Bohr’s model succeeded in explaining simple elements but it failed for more complex ones. And this was where quantum mechanics stepped in.

Electron cloud model

In quantum mechanics, subatomic particles have wavelike characteristics thus, it is impossible to locate the exact position of electrons. What scientists can do is plot the patterns in which electrons are most likely to occur. By tracking these possible locations, they will end up with a cloudlike pattern surrounding the nucleus. This was proven using the wave theory of Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger which he developed in 1926. This atomic model, called the electron cloud model, is the accepted model of the atom today.

Fern plant

Ferns belong to an ancient family of plants that has been thriving in the planet long before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. They have already been in existence before the flowering plants evolved. The first fossil of a fern ever recorded dates back 360 million years ago during the Carboniferous period.

There are about 12 000 known species of ferns. Of this, 275 are said to be endemic to the Philippines. Two of the most common and valuable fern species in the country are the lady fern or pako (Diplazium esculenturn) and the mosquito fern (Azolla pinnata). Another important species is the giant staghorn fern (Platycerium grande) which is endemic in Mindanao. Sadly, it is an endangered species.

Ferns can be found in both tropical and temperate climates. This is because they thrive in moisture-rich environment. You can see ferns growing under forest canopies, on tree trunks and branches, along creeks, and other places with abundant moisture. Moisture plays an important role in fern reproduction. Without sufficient moisture, these plants cannot reproduce.

Just like other vascular plants, ferns have xylem and phloem . They also have leaves, stem, and roots. However, unlike other vascular plants, ferns do not grow from seeds, instead, they reproduce by means of spores.

A close-up of fern leaf with sori

If you look under a fern leaf, you will see clumps of grainlike substances on it. These are called sori (singular: sorus). Upon closer inspection, you will notice that sori are further comprised of clusters of sporangia (singular: sporangium).

A stained sporangium with loose spores

Sporangia are structures that produce and contain spores. Each spore is capable of growing into an adult fern. Fern leaves with spores under them are called fertile fronds or leaves.

When a spore is blown or washed away from the leaf to the ground, it takes root and grows into a heart-shaped plantlet called gametophyte. This plantlet is not considered a fern yet but is midway in becoming one.

Gametophytes have two sets of reproductive organs: the male part (the antheridium) which contains sperm cells and the female part (archegonium) that contains egg cells. Through a film of moisture (e.g., a raindrop or dewdrop), sperm cells can swim toward the egg cells of the same gametophyte or adjacent ones. When the cells unite, they form a zygote. Stems, roots, and leaves start to develop and the plant grows into an adult fern ready to reproduce.

Different species of ferns are used for food, medicines, and ornaments. The fresh leaves of a lady fern are edible and can be eaten raw as a salad, cooked, or pickled. It is consumed here in the Philippines and in other countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Decoctions of its rhizomes and young leaves are also used to stop bleeding and to treat cough. In Chinese traditional medicine, the tea of the dried young leaves and rhizomes are used as a diuretic and as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Photo by Orange County Fire Ants Authority

They crawl on the ground, on walls, on tables, on logs, and sometimes, even inside sealed containers—ants are indeed everywhere! You often see them crawling in a single line, looking for food to carry back to their nest. Most people do not like ants. After all, they “attack” our foods and make them unfit to eat. Some ants can even give us nasty bites! However, do you know that there are more to ants than just being common household pests?
Ants, like all insects, are hatched from eggs. Baby ants (larvae) are helpless and have to be fed by adult ants in order to survive. Larvae eat a lot and shed skin several times. Soon, they will form a cocoon around themselves to become pupae, then eventually develop into adult ants. Adult ants have three main body parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen. They also have antennae for feeling around. Some have stingers for killing prey or warding off predators.

Photo by Stanislaw Szydio

Ants live in different places. Some types of ants form anthills, mounds of sand and dirt which are strengthened by pieces of branches. Other kinds live in old, decaying logs or trees. Whether in anthills or in trees, ants form long, connecting tunnels with different “rooms” which they use for various purposes. One room is used as the queen’s room. Others are used as nurseries for the larvae, as storerooms for food, as places to keep their waste, and even as rooms for worker ants to rest in.
An anthill can have thousands—or even millions of ants—in them. This large group of ants living in one place is called a colony. A colony is led by a queen ant which is larger than the other ants. A queen ant spends her life laying eggs to populate the colony. She can live for up to 20 years! The male ants, which have wings, mate with the queen their whole lives. They have a shortest life span in the colony because they die shortly after mating. The other female ants aside from the queen are called worker ants. They gather food, feed the larvae, protect the colony, and even invade other colonies to capture slaves that will work for them.
Ants communicate among themselves through their antennae. These insects have small eyes and poor vision so their antennae are very important. Ants use their antennae to “sense” things around them and “talk” to other ants. That’s why you often see ants touching each other’s antennae. Ants also secrete a chemical called pheromone. They leave behind a trail of pheromone when they walk so that other ants can follow them to a source of food or to their home. That is why you see often ants walking on a single file—they are following the scent trail left by an ant which had previously passed by the area.
Whether the ants are red, yellow, or black, they fulfill their roles in the colony all their lives. They all contribute and work together to expand their colony and to strengthen their homes. That is why ants are considered to be perfect examples of individuals showing cooperation and unity within a group.

You can watch about a very large anthill/colony here:

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant
http://www.zoomschool.com/subjects/insects/ant/
http://www.infowest.com/life/aants.htm

They are well respected in the world of physics and science education. They were at the top of their chosen field as far as their respective careers were concerned. In 1999, however, they surprised everyone when they decided to go to a remote town and manage an “old, struggling school.”

‘Bigger Picture’
“For us, it has always been the bigger picture, the country. We both wanted to do something for the country,” Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido, a physicist and school principal, said. She was referring to her husband, Christopher Bernido, also a physicist. Both hold doctorate degrees in physics from the State University of New York.

Together, the Bernidos introduced an innovative way of teaching science and technology (S&T) at the Central Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF). In the process, they are now leading the way in helping improve S&T education in the Philippines.

‘Bright Lights’
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation used the contributions and innovations of the Bernidos in S&T education in the country as bases to honor them with the 2010 Ramon Magsaysay Award, widely regarded as the Asian counterpart of the Nobel Prize. The Bernidos are being honored for serving as “bright lights” in a field plagued by lack of government support, unqualified teachers and poor facilities.

In its statement, the RMAF Board of Trustees said that “…the board of trustees recognizes their purposeful commitment to both science and nation, ensuring innovative, low-cost, and effective basic education even under Philippine conditions of great scarcity and daunting poverty.”

How It Started
In 1999, upon the request of Christopher’s mother, the Bernidos took over management of CVIF in the poor and remote municipality of Jagna, Bohol. The move surprised their colleagues at the University of the Philippines National Institute of Physics (UP-NIP). However, it was not just filial duty that led them to their decision. They saw a challenge to meet and solve the problems of basic education in the Philippines—with the struggling school being a microcosm of the state of the country’s education. Thus, Christopher became CVIF’s president and Marivic, the principal.

Reforming a struggling school of 500 students and finding a way to improve S&T teaching was not easy. But their efforts paid off.

Improvements
In 2002, the Bernidos introduced the Dynamic Learning Program (DLP), a new method of teaching science and non-science subjects. It is a cost effective strategy that limits teacher participation by devoting 70 percent of class time to student-driven activities, aided by well-designed learning plans and performance-tracking tools. Using DLP, their students improved in national scholastic aptitude and university admission tests. In the process, many educators from different parts of the country visit CVIF to learn the program.

In 2006, the Bernidos designed the “Learning Physics as One Nation” project to address the problem of shortage of qualified physics teachers in the country. It includes a portfolio of learning activities to be accomplished by students and closely-associated weekly video-based lectures. Real time teacher-expert and student-expert interaction is also done through text messaging and electronic mail.

Aside from the programs that the CVIF offer, the Bernidos also hold seminars on physics-related topics and mentor young scientists in Jagna.

Indeed, the Bernidos did not only make a name for themselves but they also uplifted the cause of education in the Philippines and made the country and the Filipinos proud.

2010 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees
On August 31, 2010, the Bernidos, along with the other awardees, will be honored with their respective Ramon Magsaysay Awards at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, first handed out on August 31, 1958 (a year after the death of the former President), is given to people who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity—thus improving their societies.

Sources:
Citation for Christopher Bernido & Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationBernidos.htm
2010 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Announced
http://www.rmaf.org.ph/?id=1&page=readMore

Photos: http://www.bohol.ph/img/bared/2010/0103/bernido.jpg

Seven individuals from Bangladesh, China, Japan, and the Philippines will receive the 2010 Ramon Magsaysay Award for their selfless service in helping people and making Asia a better place.

“The Magsaysay awardees of 2010 are seven remarkable individuals deeply engaged in reinventing the future for a better Asia, tapping into and strengthening the power of community…they are showing how commitment, competence, and collaborative leadership can truly transform individual lives and galvanize community action,” Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) President Carmencita Abella said.

The seven awardees will receive the Magsaysay Award, considered as Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize, on August 31, 2010 in the Philippines.

Nuclear-free World
Tadatoshi Akiba, three-time mayor of Hiroshima, Japan, was named a Magsaysay awardee for “his principled and determined leadership in a sustained global campaign…to create a world free from the perils of nuclear war.”

In 1982, Akiba formed and launched the Mayors for Peace to promote nuclear disarmament. The premise of the movement is that the world’s mayors are in the best positions to mobilize citizen action in vigorous advocacy for global peace. In 2003, Mayors for Peace launched its “2020 Vision” campaign to increase pressure on world governments to abolish nuclear weapons by 2020.

Education in S&T
Christopher Bernido and Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido, who have doctorate degrees in physics from the State University of New York, were chosen for their contribution in improving science and technology (S&T) education in the Philippines.

According to the RMAF, the Bernidos were the bright lights of hope of S&T due to “their purposeful commitment to both science and nation, ensuring innovative, low-cost, and effective basic education even under Philippine conditions of great scarcity and daunting poverty.”

In 1999, from being at the top of the physics world, the Bernidos established the Central Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF) in the poor and remote municipality of Jagna, Bohol. It was in Jagna where they would start an innovative method of teaching with emphasis on science and technology.

In 2006, the Bernidos designed the “Learning Physics as One Nation” project to address the shortage of qualified physics teachers in the country. The project includes “a portfolio of learning activities to be accomplished by the students, and closely-associated weekly video-based lectures.”

The Bernidos also introduced the CVIF Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) for teaching science and non-science subjects. It is a cost-effective strategy that limits teacher participation by devoting 70 percent of class time to student-driven activities.

Saving a River
Huo Daishan, a Chinese photojournalist, was cited for “his selfless and unrelenting efforts, despite formidable odds, to save China’s river Huai and the numerous communities who draw life from it.”

In 1987, Huo used his camera to start his one-man campaign of documenting the Huai River’s blackened water, poisonous fumes, and dead fish that caused pollution and diseases in villages. With over 15 000 images, Huo mounted photo exhibitions in various villages, cities, and universities in China. He also wrote about the illegal activities of local officials and factory owners in the river and organized volunteers in monitoring and protecting the river.

Helping the Disabled
A.H.M. Noman Khan of Bangladesh was recognized for “mainstreaming persons with disabilities in the development process of Bangladesh, and in working vigorously with all sectors to build a society that is truly inclusive and barrier-free.”

Starting in 1996, Khan and his organization, the Center for Disability in Development (CDD), tackled disability with a unique twin-strategy—called Community Approaches to Handicap in Development (CAHD)—to help the disabled. It strengthened communities to meet the needs of the disabled members and mainstreamed disability as an integral part of development work.

CDD trained development workers in Bangladesh that now provide services and create inclusion opportunities for the disabled. It created disability-inclusive projects and provided counseling and therapeutic services.

Environmental Protection
Pan Yue and Fu Qiping are Chinese government officials who did “bold, constructive work in seizing and creating opportunities to address China’s environmental crisis.” RMAF cited them for their vision and zeal “in advocating the inseparability of development and the environment in uplifting the lives of the Chinese.”

Pan, a vice minister of environment protection, led the “environmental protection storms” in 2005, where 76 energy-generating projects were suspended, shut down, or issued ultimatums for noncompliance of environmental rules. He also actively implemented laws on environmental protection

While promoting environment-friendly practices, Fu, a village chief in Tengtou, turned his town into one of China’s prosperous villages after being impoverished for decades.

RMAF said of Fu’s projects: “Collectively organized as an economic enterprise, it has built a base in agriculture and ecotourism, operates business companies, and hosts some sixty investors engaged in textile, food processing, and other activities.”

Presentation Ceremonies
The presentation ceremonies of the 2010 Ramon Magsaysay Awards will be held on August 31, 2010 (the birth anniversary of former President Ramon F. Magsaysay) at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, first handed out on August 31, 1958 (a year after the death of the former President), is given to people who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity—thus improving their societies.

Sources:
Citation for Pan Yue & Fu Qiping (http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationPanQiping.htm)
A.H.M Noman Khan (http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationKhanNom.htm)
Citation for Huo Daishan (http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationHuoDai.htm)
Citation for Christopher Bernido & Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido (http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationBernidos.htm)
Citation for Tadatoshi Akiba (http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationTadatoshiAki.htm)

Photo Source: http://us.asiancorrespondent.com/as_u/story_m/38378.jpg

Indeed, Maria Corazon Cojuangco Aquino—Cory Aquino to Filipinos, or simply, Cory—could have been a different person had she chosen a different path. Instead, she offered herself to be an instrument of change, hope, and inspiration for a country starving for integrity, honesty, and decency among its leaders. Cory is a true hero and a patriot who responded to the challenges of the times.

The life of Cory is worth remembering and honoring. She represented what we all look and hope for in our leaders and in ourselves—competence, sincerity, simplicity, dignity, decency, and heroism. She rose to power not with the objective of wielding power but to empower Filipinos. She guided the people toward the path of democracy. She led by example and exemplified every step of the way what a democratic way of life should be. She lived her life adhering to the principles of peace and nonviolence. But she also emphasized that true peace must come hand in hand with justice and the rule of law and reason. At the end of the day, Cory made us proud to be Filipinos once again.

Just like the stories of other great Filipinos, we can never—and should never—grow tired of hearing and reading stories about the life and times of Cory. We should never grow tired of reading about her greatness and her contribution to contemporary Philippine history and to the restoration of freedom and democracy in the country. More importantly, we should never grow tired of emulating Cory and what she stood for in life.

Maria Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco Aquino. Mother. President. Patriot. Hero.

• This article also appears in the special issue of Student’s Digest (intermediate and high school editions) for school year 2009-2010.

Eidetic memory, which is more commonly known as photographic memory, is the ability of the human brain to remember objects, images, or sounds with exceptional accuracy. The word eidetic, which is derived from the Greek word eidos meaning “form”, is literally defined as “marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images”.

The most common way to identify eidetikers or people with eidetic memory is through the picture elicitation method. In this technique, an unfamiliar picture is presented to the subject. He/She is asked to carefully study the picture for about 30 seconds. Then, the picture is removed and the subject is asked to describe what he/she has seen.

True eidetikers will be able to describe the picture vividly and in great detail as if the picture is still present and they can still “see” it. Another indication that the subject is an eidetiker is when he/she uses the present tense in describing the picture.

Eidetic imagery is different from other forms of visual imagery in several ways. One, a true eidetic image doesn’t move when the person moves his/her eyes. It also retains the same color as the original picture. Second, eidetic images fade away involuntarily and part by part. It is not possible to control which part of the image will go away and which part will remain. Most eidetic images last for only half a minute to several minutes. An eidetiker will be able to voluntarily make the image go away by blinking his/her eyes.

Eidetic imagery is more commonly observed in children. However, this unique ability usually disappears during adulthood. Researches have shown that talking about a picture while scanning it affects the formation of the image in one’s memory. Perhaps, this is the reason why the ability is lost in adults. Adults are more likely to visually and verbally encode an image into memory.

Several people are said to have photographic memory. These include Hu Jintao (current president of the People’s Republic of China), Sukarno (father of Indonesian independence), engineer Nikola Tesla, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Hollywood film director Guillermo del Toro, and former presidents Theodore Roosevelt (of the United States) and Ferdinand Marcos (of the Philippines).

However, no one has yet been tested and documented as having a memory that is truly photographic even though there are some who come close. Some individuals with autism and other developmental disorders have extraordinary memory. They are called savants.

Laurence Kim Peek, the inspiration for the lead character in the 1988 movie Rain Man (played by Dustin Hoffman), was born with FG syndrome—a genetic disorder characterized by physical abnormalities and developmental delays. Despite his condition, Peek can read a book in less than an hour and recite it with almost complete accuracy even several years later.

Another well-known savant is Stephen Wiltshire of London. Wiltshire, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three, is known for his ability to draw an entire skyline of a city or a landscape after just seeing it once. Wiltshire was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to art in 2006.

The concept of having photographic memory has long fascinated man and is thus, often depicted in many works of fiction such as movies, TV shows, books, and comic books. One example of a fictional character with eidetic memory is young Klaus Baudelaire from the children’s book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events. Klaus can remember everything he reads. Popular animated character Jimmy Neutron and lead character Chuck Bartowski from the TV series Chuck also have photographic memory.

Beloved Pope
One of the most beloved popes in history, John Paul II captured the world’s admiration during his almost 27-year as pontiff. His compassion for people from all walks of life touched even non-Catholics who recognized him as one of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders. It is said that he was the most recognized man in the world and by far the most widely traveled pope in history. In his years as the Pope, John Paul II successfully encouraged dialogue with world leaders and representatives of other religions, whom he several times invited to prayer meetings for peace. He was also a most respected and well-loved church leader, especially among the youth. However, with such popularity, the Pope easily became a target of numerous assassination plots including one that almost cost him his life.

Assassination Attempt
On the afternoon of May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot while he rode in an open car across St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, where 20 000 people had gathered to see him. The Pope was rushed to a nearby hospital, barely surviving the six-hour operation. He was shot four times—twice in the stomach, once in the right arm, once in the left hand. Two bystanders were also injured in the attack. The Pope believed that it was Our Lady of Fatima who helped keep him alive throughout the ordeal.

“Could I forget that the event in St. Peter’s Square took place on the day and at the hour when the first appearance of the Mother of Christ to the poor little peasants has been remembered for over sixty years at Fatima, Portugal? For in everything that happened to me on that very day, I felt that extraordinary motherly protection and care, which turned out to be stronger than the deadly bullet.”

The would-be assassin, a 23-year-old Turkish terrorist named Mehmet Ali Agca, was immediately apprehended at the scene of the crime. The police found in his pocket a note scribbled in Turkish that reads: “I am killing the Pope as a protest against the imperialism of the Soviet Union and the United States and against the genocide that is being carried out in El Salvador and Afghanistan.”

Agca served nearly 20 years in Rebibbia, an Italian prison, for the crime after the Pope intervened to have his life-imprisonment sentence reduced.

A Lesson in Forgiveness
Following the assassination attempt, the Pope showed the world how to forgive. At the hospital, he said, “Pray for the brother who shot me, whom I have sincerely forgiven.” John Paul II met with Agca two years later and eventually arranged for his release from Italian prison. The Pope also displayed courage in not letting the assassination attempt change his travel itinerary and reach out to millions of people all over the world.

For people who are used to seeing and experiencing violence in every form, Pope John Paul II’s action is a lesson in forgiveness for a troubled world. When he pardoned and even embraced the man who almost killed him, he gave new meaning to the phrase: to err is human, to forgive divine.

photo courtesy of:

http://newscompass.blogspot.com