Pope Francis survived two assassination attempts during his historic visit to Iraq in March 2021, according to excerpts from his upcoming autobiography published by Italian media on Tuesday.
In the book titled Hope, set to release in over 80 countries in January, Francis revealed that the Vatican’s security team received urgent warnings from British intelligence. “A woman packed with explosives, a young suicide bomber, was heading towards Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit,” he wrote. “A van had also set off at great speed with the same intention.”
The Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported that both attackers were intercepted and killed by Iraqi police before they could carry out their plans.
Francis, who turned 88 on Tuesday, admitted that “almost everyone advised me against” the trip, but he remained resolute. “I wanted to get to the bottom of things. I felt I had to do it,” he wrote.
The three-day visit, which took place amid the Covid-19 pandemic, marked his first international trip in 15 months. Despite significant security risks, the Pope visited key locations, including Baghdad and Mosul, a former stronghold of the Islamic State group.
During such trips, the Pope’s security is managed by the Pontifical Swiss Guard and the Vatican Gendarmerie in coordination with local law enforcement.
