▁he ▁rose ▁and ▁said : ▁' This ▁is ▁my ▁best ▁day ▁as ▁President .' " ▁ ▁Rel ations hip ▁with ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II ▁ ▁Sand ro ▁P ert ini ▁had ▁a ▁close ▁friendship ▁with ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁met ▁often ▁both ▁for ▁official ▁and ▁private ▁occasions , ▁and ▁had ▁frequent ▁phone ▁convers ations . ▁In ▁" Acc anto ▁a ▁Giovanni ▁Paolo ▁II ", ▁he ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁referred ▁to ▁his ▁mother ▁looking ▁over ▁him ▁in ▁heaven , ▁moved ▁that ▁her ▁at he ist ▁son ▁was ▁friends ▁with ▁the ▁Pope . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁May ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁Gem elli ▁Hospital ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁he ▁heard ▁that ▁the ▁Pope ▁had ▁been ▁shot , ▁and ▁stayed ▁until ▁late ▁in ▁the ▁night ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁told ▁that ▁the ▁Pope ▁was ▁not ▁in ▁danger ▁anymore . ▁He ▁re called ▁the ▁event ▁later ▁that ▁year ▁in ▁the ▁annual ▁New ▁Year ' s ▁E ve ▁President ial ▁Address ▁to ▁the ▁Italian ▁People . ▁ ▁Hon ours ▁and ▁awards ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁he ▁received ▁the ▁Fre edom ▁medal . ▁ ▁In ▁popular ▁culture ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁film ▁Last ▁Days ▁of ▁M uss ol ini , ▁by ▁Carlo ▁L izz ani , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁character ▁inspired ▁to ▁P ert ini , ▁performed ▁by ▁Ser gio ▁Gra z iani . ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁Andrea ▁Paz ienza ▁created ▁the ▁com ic ▁book ▁series ▁Il ▁Part ig