Pope Francis Reveals He Escaped Double Suicide Bombing During Iraq Visit

Pope Francis has disclosed that he narrowly escaped a double suicide bombing during his historic visit to Iraq three years ago, thanks to the intervention of British intelligence and Iraqi police.

 This revelation is part of his upcoming autobiography, *Spera (Hope),excerpts of which were shared with *Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, coinciding with the Pope's 88th birthday.

In the book, authored by Carlo Musso and set for publication in January, Francis recalls that upon arriving in Baghdad in March 2021, he was informed of a threat targeting an event he was scheduled to attend. He learned that two suicide bombers had been intercepted and killed before they could carry out their attack.

The visit marked the first time a pope had traveled to Iraq and took place amid the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, necessitating heightened security measures. In the years leading up to the visit, Iraq had experienced significant sectarian violence, particularly targeting the Christian community, which had been severely diminished by the Islamic State group and other extremist factions.

Despite widespread advice against the trip, the Pope felt compelled to continue with his plans. He recounted that British intelligence alerted Iraqi authorities about a woman packed with explosives and a young suicide bomber intending to attack during his visit. A vehicle carrying another potential attacker was also reported to be speeding towards the event.

The Pope described his inquiry to a security official the following day regarding the fate of the would-be attackers, receiving a stark reply: “They are no more.” The Iraqi police had successfully intercepted and neutralized the threats.