In excerpts from his forthcoming autobiography, Pope Francis disclosed that British intelligence alerted Iraqi police about a suicide bombing plot targeting him during his 2021 trip to Iraq. According to the pope, the attackers were neutralized before they could execute their plans.
As Francis arrived in Baghdad, intelligence indicated that a woman laden with explosives was heading toward Mosul, intent on detonating herself during the papal visit. “A truck was heading there fast with the same intention,” the 88-year-old pontiff stated in excerpts from Hope: The Autobiography, released by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
The pope went on to query his Vatican security team about the fate of the would-be attackers. He recounts the commander’s terse response: “They’re no longer here.” He further elaborated, “Iraqi police had intercepted them and made them explode. This struck me as well: even this is the poisonous fruit of war.”
Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq, which occurred in March 2021, marked the first time a pope had traveled to the country. It was notable as the world continued to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. Mosul, the visit’s backdrop, had previously served as the stronghold for Islamic State militants, leading to the near eradication of the region’s Christian communities.
Despite the looming bomb threats, the pope’s trip proceeded as planned, safeguarded by extensive security measures. It became one of Francis’s most significant foreign visits; standing amidst the ruins of a church in Mosul, he urged Iraq’s Christians to forgive the injustices they faced at the hands of extremists and called for rebuilding their communities.
Hope: The Autobiography, co-authored with Italian writer Carlo Musso, is set to be published in over 80 countries next month, coinciding with the Vatican’s Holy Year.
