By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Pew PatriotsPew PatriotsPew Patriots
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • News
  • Tactical
  • Guns and Gear
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Videos
Reading: Pope Francis reveals he was nearly assassinated during historic Iraq trip
Share
Font ResizerAa
Pew PatriotsPew Patriots
  • News
  • Tactical
  • Guns and Gear
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Videos
Search
  • Home
  • News
  • Tactical
  • Guns and Gear
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Videos
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
Pope Francis reveals he was nearly assassinated during historic Iraq trip
News

Pope Francis reveals he was nearly assassinated during historic Iraq trip

Jimmie Dempsey
Last updated: December 17, 2024 3:02 pm
Jimmie Dempsey Published December 17, 2024
Share
SHARE

The first-ever Iraq visit by a pope could’ve ended disastrously, but a foiled assassination plot has enabled Pope Francis to write about the event in retrospect. 

“Almost everyone advised me against that trip,” he wrote in his autobiography, reflecting on a 2021 visit to Mosul, Iraq, where a tip from British intelligence made waves through authorities and alerted the Vatican military police to two threats.

A would-be suicide bomber strapped with explosives was headed toward the city with the intent of detonating herself, according to Politico. The second, the pontiff said, was a van containing explosives that had charged toward the same area with the “same intent.”

CITING THE GOSPEL, POPE FRANCIS SAYS MIGRANTS ‘MUST BE WELCOMED’ AND ‘INTEGRATED’

Despite the risk, the visit continued, with Francis insisting he tour the region for its biblical, historical value and meet with the local Christian population.

Mina Al-Oraibi, editor-in-chief of The National newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, wrote at the time that Francis had decided to embark on the 4-day trip to “reinforce the historic and natural place of Christians in Iraq and the Arab world.”

Mosul had been captured by the Islamic State group in 2014, but Iraqi forces expelled the extremists three years later, Politico reported, adding that evidence of the conflict and occupation lingered in “much of the city, including its centuries-old Catholic churches,” that were left in ruins.

POPE FRANCIS REJECTS TRADITION, OPTS FOR HUMBLE WOODEN CASKET AND BURIAL OUTSIDE VATICAN

Pope Francis mural in Iraq

Pope Francis later asked his security detail what had become of the bomb threats, when he learned they had been neutralized.

“The commander replied laconically, ‘They’re no longer here. Iraqi police had intercepted them and made them explode,'” he wrote, reflecting on the moment.

The autobiography titled “Hope” is slated to hit store shelves next month, but Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera published excerpts from the writings on Tuesday, reports say.

Read the full article here

You Might Also Like

Mike Tomlin refutes claims Steelers are ‘stuck,’ pushes back against potential trade to different team

Drugs that reduce dementia risk — and others that increase it

Lawmakers harshly criticize Biden’s decision to pardon Hunter: ‘Liar’

Guatemalan man illegally in US accused of sexually abusing Alabama child shows no remorse: ‘It is what it is’

Former presidents mum following Donald Trump’s inauguration

Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

We Recommend
Hearing Protection Act: Are Silencers Legal Now?
Guns and Gear

Hearing Protection Act: Are Silencers Legal Now?

Jimmie Dempsey Jimmie Dempsey May 30, 2025
Shakira, Jason Aldean concerts abruptly canceled at Boston’s Fenway Park over stage safety concerns
Review: Shield Sights AMSc Red Dot Sight
New book exposes Biden’s ‘scripted’ Cabinet meetings amid alleged cognitive decline cover-up
CDC Confirms Emergence of China-Linked COVID-19 Variant In U.S. Amid Global Surge
WATCH: US intel’s take on TdA gang misses mark on ties to Maduro regime, ex-Venezuela army officer says
Craft brewers navigate rising costs without passing hefty price hikes to customers
News

Craft brewers navigate rising costs without passing hefty price hikes to customers

Jimmie Dempsey Jimmie Dempsey May 30, 2025
I Carry: Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro OSP Pistol in a Tulster Holster
Tactical

I Carry: Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro OSP Pistol in a Tulster Holster

Jimmie Dempsey Jimmie Dempsey May 30, 2025
Lindsay Lohan shares struggles with LA after moving to Dubai to escape Hollywood stress
News

Lindsay Lohan shares struggles with LA after moving to Dubai to escape Hollywood stress

Jimmie Dempsey Jimmie Dempsey May 30, 2025
Pew Patriots
  • News
  • Tactical
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Videos
  • Guns and Gear
2024 © Pew Patriots. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?