Pope Francis Reveals He Was Targeted In Two Assassination Plots

Pope Francis has revealed he was targeted in an assassination attempt twice.

In the Pope’s upcoming memoir, he shares he was the target of two failed assassination attempts when he visited Iraq in 2021.

UK intelligence, in 2021, alerted Iraqi authorities that “a woman wearing explosives was traveling to Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, with the intention of blowing herself up during the papal visit.”

Iraqi authorities, in return, alerted the Vatican’s security of the woman’s plans and protected the Pope from any harm.

In his memoir Pope Francis wrote, “Iraqi police had intercepted them and made them explode. This struck me as well: Even this is the poisonous fruit of war.”

Pope Francis dodged 2 assassination attempts during 2021 Iraq trip, autobiography reveals https://t.co/DmYV76D4hV pic.twitter.com/jVl8V7n0MZ

— New York Post (@nypost) December 17, 2024

"A woman packed with explosives, a young kamikaze, was heading to Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit. And a van had also set off at full speed with the same intent.”

Pope Francis has revealed that ISIS tried but failed to kill him during his visit to Iraq. pic.twitter.com/W7p63QAhFy

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) December 17, 2024

Check out what Yahoo News reported:

Pope Francis has revealed he was targeted in a failed assassination attempt during his 2021 visit to Iraq, according to excerpts of his upcoming memoir published in Italian media.

UK intelligence warned Iraqi authorities — who in turn told Vatican security — that a woman wearing explosives was traveling to Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, with the intention of blowing herself up during the papal visit, the memoir revealed. A van traveled to the city with “the same intent,” his security detail told the pope at the time. Both threats were intercepted by Iraqi authorities, according to the book.

Francis was the first pope to visit Iraq: He made the trip both in recognition of one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, and to show solidarity with Christians persecuted and displaced by Islamic State militants, he said.

During the visit, Francis also held a historic meeting with one of the leading authorities in Shia Islam.

#PopeFrancis survived two assassination attempts in #Iraq in 2021, foiled by #British intelligence, highlighting dangers faced by religious figures.https://t.co/LyoAGgjvEc pic.twitter.com/Pg1sRNPHaH

— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) December 17, 2024

Here’s what The Guardian reported:

Pope Francis has said he escaped a double suicide bombing during a visit to Iraq three years ago after the attempts on his life were foiled by British intelligence and Iraqi police.

Francis made the revelation in his upcoming autobiography, Spera (Hope), excerpts of which were shared with Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, the pontiff’s 88th birthday.

Francis said he had been strongly advised against making the trip to Iraq in March 2021, the first by a pope, because Covid was still raging and the security risks were high, especially in Mosul, the northern city devastated by Islamic State militants.

The pope said he was determined to go ahead with the trip, however.

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In his recounting of events, British intelligence informed Iraqi police of the planned bombings as soon as Francis arrived in Baghdad. In turn, the Iraqi police informed the Vatican’s security detail.

The pontiff described how one of the suicide bombers was a woman who was heading towards Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit. A truck was also “heading there fast with the same intention”, he said.

In the book, written with the Italian author Carlo Musso and due to be published in January, Francis said he later asked Vatican security what had become of the suicide bombers. “The commander replied laconically: ‘They’re no longer here,’” Francis wrote. “Iraqi police had intercepted them and made them explode. This struck me as well: Even this is the poisonous fruit of war.”