Pope Francis has disclosed that two assassination plots targeting his historic 2021 visit to Iraq were thwarted, thanks to intelligence provided by British agencies and rapid action from Iraqi police. In his autobiography, Hope (Spera), co-written with Italian author Carlo Musso, the Pope shared details of the threats he faced while making the first-ever papal visit to Iraq.
Upon landing in Baghdad in March 2021, Pope Francis was informed by security officials about imminent dangers. "The police had alerted the Vatican Gendarmerie to a report that had come from British intelligence: a woman packed with explosives, a young suicide bomber, was on her way to Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit. And a van had also left at full speed with the same intent," he wrote in the book, as excerpts were published by Corriere della Sera.
Both would-be attackers were intercepted by Iraqi police, who neutralized the threats. When the Pope inquired about the outcome, a security official responded succinctly: "They are no more." Francis reflected on this grim reality, writing, "This, too, was the poisoned fruit of war."
The visit, which spanned three days during the COVID-19 pandemic, was fraught with challenges, including heightened security risks and logistical complexities. Despite widespread advice to cancel the trip due to safety concerns, Pope Francis remained steadfast in his commitment. "Almost everyone advised me against it, but I felt I had to do it," he explained.
The Pope's journey included a visit to Mosul, a city ravaged by ISIS and one of the main strongholds of the terrorist group during its reign of terror. From a helicopter, Francis surveyed the devastation below. "It presented itself to my eyes as an expanse of rubble," he recounted, describing the scene as "an X-ray of hatred."
The papal visit was also a poignant moment for Iraq's Christian community, one of the oldest in the world, which has suffered severe persecution over the years. The country's Christian population has dwindled from an estimated 1.4 million before the 2003 U.S. invasion to fewer than 250,000, according to a 2019 State Department report. Many Christians were forced to flee their homes as ISIS targeted them with violence and destruction.
Despite the risks, the visit proceeded without incident, with Iraqi authorities deploying thousands of additional security personnel to safeguard the pontiff and attendees. The Pope's message centered on reconciliation and hope, particularly for a region scarred by sectarian violence and war.
Pope Francis described his pilgrimage as a mission to honor "our grandfather Abraham, the common ancestor of Jews, Christians, and Muslims." The symbolic significance of the trip, he wrote, was to offer a message of unity and healing in a fractured land.
British intelligence played a crucial role in averting disaster, issuing a warning that allowed Iraqi authorities to act swiftly. The Vatican and the Iraqi police have not publicly commented on the incident, while a spokesperson for the British government declined to provide details, citing intelligence protocols.
