Pope Francis reveals in his upcoming autobiography that a plot to assassinate him during his historic visit to Iraq in March 2021 was thwarted after a tip-off from British intelligence.
Upon his arrival in Baghdad, the Pope was informed of two suicide bombers targeting an event he was scheduled to attend. Both attackers were intercepted and killed by Iraqi police, he writes in excerpts published by Corriere della Sera.
The Pope’s visit, marked by tight security, was the first by a pontiff to Iraq and took place amid sectarian violence and persecution of religious minorities. Despite widespread advice against the trip, he felt compelled to proceed.
British intelligence uncovered the plot, alerting Iraqi authorities who neutralized the threats: a woman with explosives en route to Mosul and a van heading for the same purpose.
When asked about the attackers’ fate, a security official reportedly replied, “They are no more.”
The Pope’s autobiography, Hope, is set for release on January 14. The Vatican has not commented on the revelations.
