Pope Francis has completed his biography, revealing in excerpts released on December 17 that he narrowly escaped a terrorist attack during his 2021 apostolic journey to Iraq. Advisers had warned him against the trip due to safety concerns, yet he felt compelled to honor his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, and visit Abraham’s resting place, a figure significant to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. The Pope recounts how Iraqi authorities thwarted a plot involving suicide bombers aimed at him during the visit.