On his 88th birthday, Pope Francis revealed he survived two assassination attempts during his 2021 apostolic visit to Iraq, a journey already recognized as high-risk. In this episode of Inside the Vatican, Colleen and Gerry examine this shocking disclosure and other insights from his forthcoming autobiography, Hope, with excerpts released to mark the occasion ahead of its January publication. They also reflect on the first-ever visit of a pope to the Mediterranean island of Corsica on Sunday, Dec. 5, where he participated in a conference on popular religiosity and celebrated Mass for the island’s predominantly Catholic community.
Links for further reading
- Pope Francis reveals he survived two assassination attempts during visit to Iraq
- Pope Francis praises popular piety in first-ever visit to Corsica
- After skipping the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris, Pope Francis heads to Corsica. Here’s what to expect.
- “Hope: The Autobiography,” by Pope Francis, written with Carlo Musso.
- “There Is Faith in Humor,” Pope Francis writes for The New York Times
