May 14, 1981

Shooting of the Pope Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded as he was standing in an open car moving slowly among more than 10,000 worshipers in St. Peter's Square. His accused attacker was identified as an escaped Turkish murderer who had threatened the Pontiff's life in the name of Islam. The Pope, who was struck in the abdomen, right arm and left hand, underwent 5 hours and 25 minutes of abdominal surgery. A hospital bulletin said he was in ''guarded'' condition, but the director of surgery expressed confidence that ''the Pontiff will recover soon.'' (Page A1, Col. 6.) The most serious damage was done to the Pope's intestines. Three sections of the bowel, or intestines, were removed in surgery, which was termed successful. A second operation will be required to reconnect portions of the bowel that were severed in a surgical procedure. Recovery is often complete, provided no complications develop. (A1:6.)

Home builders here, suffering from their longest and most severe postwar slump, have ripped a page from the auto industry's marketing manual and are offering home buyers a $2,000 rebate when they buy a new house. The idea has generated a lot of interest among builders across the nation and some are hailing it as a bold step that could generate more demand for new houses and relieve the battered builders of unwanted inventories. ''I think it's a great idea, especially if it shakes some people off the fence,'' said William Cheseroni, director of marketing for the National Association of Home Builders in Washington. ''There's lot of pent-up demand. People are afraid that they'll buy now and interest rates will go down. But they just keep going up.''

GRACIE MANSION, the official residence of the Mayor of New York, is an exquisitely sited house with a spectacular view of the East River. A wide veranda graciously circles the white farmhouse structure. Inside, the generously proportioned rooms are not so much appointed as furnished with antiques, some of museum quality, most not. The current resident, although reluctant to make too many changes, is nevertheless more than willing to reconsider the furnishings of the house. And Mayor Koch says that the planned renovation of Gracie Mansion won't cost his constituents anything and won't make him change his relaxed way of living.

From the day that Karol Cardinal Wojtyla stepped confidently onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica as the newly elected Pope John Paul II, he has boldly challenged the church and the world. Striving to make Christianity a renewed force, he has taken his message from St. Peter's Square around the globe, traveling widely with little apparent regard for his personal safety. The ''Popemobile,'' an open vehicle such as the one he was riding in when he was shot yesterday, has become a symbol of his mobility. Before his weekly audiences in the square, he stands in the vehicle as it winds through the crowds. The act is a byproduct of his instinctive showmanship and his irrepressible desire to bring the church to the people.

The Federal Trade Commission today officially ended its five-year antitrust investigation of auto manufacturing in America, one of the nation's largest and most concentrated industries. The termination, hailed by the car makers, had been expected since the commission's decision two months ago to withdraw subpoenas it had issued in its industrywide investigation. The reason given for both actions was that substantial economic changes have taken place in the industry since the investigation was begun in August 1976.