Pope reveals UK spies thwarted two attempts to blow him up on Iraq trip

The pope has said he escaped two suicide bombs in Iraq when the attempts on his life were foiled by British intelligence and Iraqi police.

- Angela Giuffrida

Francis made the revelation in his upcoming autobiography, Spera (Hope), excerpts of which were shared with Corriere della Sera yesterday on his 88th birthday.

The pope said he had been strongly advised against making the trip to Iraq in March 2021—the first by a pontiff—because Covid was still raging and the security risks were high, especially in Mosul, the northern city devastated by Islamic State militants. He said he was determined to go ahead, however.

In his recounting of events, British intelligence informed Iraqi police of the planned bombings as soon as he arrived in Baghdad. In turn, the Iraqi police informed the Vatican's security detail.