Pope Francis Reveals How Assassination Plot Was Foiled

What's New

Pope Francis has claimed a plot to assassinate him during a 2021 visit to Iraq involving two suicide bombers was foiled thanks to the intervention of British intelligence and Iraqi security forces.

The pontiff made the revelation in his upcoming autobiography, Spera (Hope), which he wrote along with Italian author Carlo Musso. Excerpts from the book were shared with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, which marked the Pope's 88th birthday.

Speaking to Newsweek the British Foreign Ministry said it would not comment on intelligence matters. Newsweek also contacted the Vatican for comment, via its Vatican News agency website, and the Iraqi Foreign Ministry by email outside of regular office hours on Wednesday.

Why It Matters

The pope's visit to Iraq between March 5 and 8, the first by a pontiff in history, was an important moment for a nation that had suffered nearly two decades of continual internal violence and religious extremism. Notably the trip included a visit to Mosul, which between 2014 and 2017 was held by the Islamic State militant group, where the assassination bid was planned to take place.

The successful assassination of the pope, head of the roughly 1.3-billion-strong Catholic church, would have had a seismic impact requiring the election of a new pope, humiliating the Iraqi government and potentially increasing religious tensions across the globe.

What To Know

In his book, the pope claims two suicide bombers, one on foot and the other in a vehicle, planned to target his visit to Mosul, the capital of Iraq's northern Nineveh province.

He said: "A woman packed with explosives, a young suicide bomber, was heading toward Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit.

"And a van had also set off at great speed with the same intention."

Pope Francis (center) being welcomed by then Iraqi President Barham Saleh in Baghdad on March 5, 2021, on the first papal visit to Iraq. According to his upcoming autobiography two suicide bombers planned to target... SABAH ARAR/AFP/GETTY

However the pontiff said British intelligence caught wind of the plot, informing the Iraqi police who in turn informed his personal security detail.

Consequently the two would-be attackers were intercepted and killed before they could reach their target.

Francis wrote that the next day he asked an official what had happened to the two bombers, who "replied laconically: 'They are no more.'" The pontiff added: "The Iraqi police had intercepted them and blown them up."

During his visit Francis traveled to the cities of Baghdad, Najaf, Qaraqosh, Erbil and Mosul along with the ruins of Ur, a now abandoned Sumerian city dating back to around 3,800 BC. In Najaf, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, the pontiff met with Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for 45 minutes.

The pope used his trip to pay tribute to interfaith cooperation and friendship, commenting: "I think of the young Muslim volunteers of Mosul, who helped to repair churches and monasteries, building fraternal friendships on the rubble of hatred, and those Christians and Muslims who today are restoring mosques and churches together."

The memoir is due to be published in January in more than 80 countries.

In May 1981, Pope John Paul II narrowly survived assassination after being shot and wounded in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City by Mehmet Ali Ağca who he later forgave.

What People Are Saying

In a post on X Scottish Catholic group Sancta Familia Media shared a photograph of Pope Francis during his trip. The group wrote: "The iconic photo of Pope Francis in Iraq in 2021. The church was destroyed previously by ISIS who we learn today were behind multiple attempts to assassinate the Holy Father on the trip there. The attempts were foiled by British intelligence. God bless the Pope!"

Canada based terrorism expert Phil Gurski wrote: "Pope says he was almost assassinated in 2021 but British intelligence foiled plot—thanks UK!!"

What Happens Next

In the years since the attempted assassination of Pope Francis, Iraq has continued to suffer from sporadic ISIS directed or inspired terrorist attacks, but the group remains far below its 2014-16 peak when at one point they controlled around 40 percent of Iraq.

The Catholic Church has remained dogged by division over culture war issues, such as its position toward divorcees and the LGBTQ+ community.