How I escaped two assassination attempts in Iraq — Pope Francis

Pope Francis has revealed harrowing details of two assassination attempts during his historic visit to Iraq in March 2021.

This was captured in excerpts from his forthcoming autobiography, Hope, published by Italian media on Tuesday.

In the autobiography, which will be released in over 80 countries in January, the pontiff shared that his Vatican security team received critical intelligence from the British secret services.

He wrote, “A woman packed with explosives, a young suicide bomber, was heading towards Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit.”

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The pope further disclosed another imminent threat during the trip. “And a van had also set off at great speed with the same intention,” he wrote, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Both attackers were intercepted and killed by Iraqi police, averting the potential tragedy.

The visit to Iraq, which marked Pope Francis’s first trip in 15 months, took place under tight security amid the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing regional instability.

Despite warnings from many, the pontiff was resolute in making the journey, stating, “Almost everyone advised me against the trip to Iraq, but I wanted to get to the bottom of things. I felt I had to do it.”

The three-day tour saw the pope traversing the country, visiting Baghdad and Mosul, a former stronghold of the Islamic State group, and calling for peace and reconciliation in the region.

Security for the pope during international visits is handled by the Pontifical Swiss Guard and Vatican Gendarmerie, working closely with local authorities, a collaboration that proved vital during the Iraq trip.

Hope offers readers an intimate glimpse into the experiences and challenges of Pope Francis, who turned 88 on Tuesday.