John Paul II's would-be assassin visits Vatican

The man who attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II turned up at the Vatican on Saturday and laid flowers on his tomb, more than 30 years after the Polish Pope publicly forgave him.

Mehmet Ali Agca, who in May 1981 shot Pope John Paul II multiple times at close range during a general audience, laid white roses on the tomb in St Peter’s Basilica exactly 31 years after the Pope first visited him in prison.

Agca also asked to meet Pope Francis but his request was denied. "He has put his flowers on John Paul's tomb; I think that is enough," Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi told the Italian daily La Repubblica.

The visit marks the first time Turkish-born Agca has set foot on Vatican grounds since the assassination attempt.

Agca, formerly a member of a Turkish far-right group known as the Grey Wolves, was freed in 2000 following pressure from John Paul II and deported to Turkey.