- By Shivangi Sharma
- Mon, 21 Apr 2025 05:09 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a startling revelation made in his memoir Hope, Pope Francis disclosed that he survived two foiled assassination attempts during his historic 2021 trip to Iraq. Despite the imminent danger, the pontiff pressed forward with his mission, determined to serve as a “pilgrim of peace” in a land long ravaged by war and extremist violence.
According to Francis, British intelligence had alerted Iraqi police of two potential suicide bombings planned to coincide with his visit. As Francis’s aircraft landed in Baghdad, Iraqi police—briefed by British intelligence—alerted the Vatican Gendarmerie about two potential attacks. One involved a young woman carrying explosives en route to Mosul, while another threat came in the form of a van racing in the same direction with similar intent.
The Pope later asked his security chief what had happened to the would-be attackers. “They’re no longer here,” the commander responded. Iraqi police had intercepted and neutralised both threats. Reflecting on this, Francis wrote, “Even this is the poisonous fruit of war,” highlighting the ongoing dangers in a region still healing from years of conflict.
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Journey Through Devastation
During his three-day journey, Francis visited six cities, including Mosul, once under ISIS control. He flew over its ruined neighborhoods, describing the view as “the X-ray of hatred.” He noted that hatred often wears false masks—of religion, politics, and justice—only to reveal its true, destructive form.
Between 2014 and 2017, Islamic State militants slaughtered thousands of Christians in northern Iraq and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Francis’s visit was not only symbolic, but an urgent call for global awareness, religious coexistence, and the protection of vulnerable communities.
The Pope acknowledged he had been urged not to go—by Church leaders, security experts, and due to pandemic fears. Even the papal nuncio to Iraq, Monsignor Mitja Leskovar, had tested positive for COVID-19. Yet Francis remained resolute, stating, “I was traveling to Iraq not as a tourist or politician, but as a messenger of peace—even in the face of death.”