Pope Francis has disclosed details of two assassination attempts thwarted during his historic visit to Iraq in March 2021, as revealed in his forthcoming autobiography.
Hope, set for release in January, provides an account of the risks faced during the papal journey, which marked the first-ever visit by a pope to Iraq.
Upon landing in Baghdad, the Vatican was briefed about credible intelligence shared by British authorities. According to the Pope, the threats included a young woman equipped with explosives intending to carry out a suicide bombing during his visit to Mosul, and a van speeding toward the same area with the intent of detonating explosives. Both attackers were intercepted and neutralized by Iraqi Police before they could act.
When the Pope inquired about their fate the following day, a Vatican security official told him, “They’re gone,” reported CNS News. Despite the severe risks, Pope Francis insisted on continuing with the trip, describing it as a mission of peace, reconciliation and solidarity with Iraq’s Christian community, which had endured brutal persecution under ISIS.
The visit proceeded under intense security measures, with police deployed, curfews imposed and strict crowd controls. Pope Francis said he was determined to to visit Iraq, citing the spiritual importance of honoring the shared heritage of Jews, Christians and Muslims in the region.
During his visit to Mosul—a city ravaged by years of conflict—the Pope met with local communities and religious leaders, delivering messages of hope. He described the city’s ruins as “an X-ray image of hatred,” reported ACI MENA.
Reflecting on the incident, the Pope described it as yet another reminder of the “poisoned fruit of war,” The Guardian reported.
Photo credit: قناة التغيير CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
