**Foiled Assassination Attempt Against Pope Francis Revealed in Autobiography**

**In his upcoming autobiography, Pope Francis recounts a targeted assassination plot during his 2021 visit, revealing how timely intelligence thwarted potential disaster.**

 

In what is becoming a shocking revelation from his forthcoming autobiography, Pope Francis discloses that a plot to assassinate him during his 2021 trip to Iraq was foiled thanks to an alert from British intelligence. The Pope has narrated that upon his arrival in Baghdad, he was informed of an imminent threat targeting an event he was scheduled to attend, involving two suicide bombers.

According to excerpts shared by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the attackers were intercepted and killed before they could carry out their plans. This visit marked the first of its kind for a pope to Iraq and was conducted under strict security amid the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pope reflects on the tumultuous security climate in Iraq prior to his visit, shaped by decades of sectarian violence, a struggle between Shia and Sunni factions, and the persecution of religious minorities, drastically shrinking the Christian population. Despite considerable advice against making the trip, he asserted the significance and necessity of his presence.

Describing the sudden threat, Pope Francis recounted that British intelligence had alerted the Iraqi police about a young female suicide bomber and a vehicle traveling at high speed that had plans to detonate during his papal visit in Mosul. The Pope was relieved to learn from his security team that the assailants had been neutralized, with one official succinctly stating, "They are no more."

This vivid account adds a dramatic layer to his memoir, titled "Hope," which is set to be released on January 14. The Vatican has not yet made an official comment on the revelations made in the autobiography.