Security in the Vatican has been increased after
intelligence agencies reportedly intercepted an unspecified threat against Pope
Francis, on the eve of his visit to Muslim-majority Albania.
The number of uniformed and plain clothes police
patrolling St Peter's Square during the Pope's weekly audiences on Sunday and
Wednesday has been increased, sniffer dogs are being used and extra metal
detector machines have been installed, the Italian media reported on Saturday.
The measures were adopted after a foreign
intelligence agency, possibly American, intercepted a conversation between two
unidentified Arabs in which they reportedly discussed 'doing something in the
Vatican'.
The Vatican downplayed the threat, with Federico
Lombardi, its main spokesman, saying that it had not received indications of a
'particular threat or cause for concern.'
Iraq's ambassador to the Holy See warned this week
that Isil saw the Pope as a legitimate target and might try to assassinate him
during his trip to Albania, because of his outspoken concern for the plight of
Christians in Iraq and Syria and his conditional support of US bombing raids
against Isil forces.
Jihadists from Isil have in recent weeks boasted of
wanting to extend their caliphate to Rome, the heart of Western Christendom,
and have talked of planting the jihadist black flag on top of St Peter's Basilica.
Habeeb Al Sadr, Iraq's ambassador to the Vatican,
said there were also indications of a more specific threat against Pope
Francis, who recently spoke out in favor of the US and its allies halting the
advance of Isil in Syria and Iraq.
"What has been declared by the self-declared
Islamic State is clear – they want to kill the Pope. The threats against the
Pope are credible," the ambassador told La Nazione, an Italian daily, on
Tuesday.
"I believe they could try to kill him during
one of his overseas trips or even in Rome. There are members of Isil who are
not Arabs but Canadian, American, French, British, also Italians.
"Isil could engage any of these to commit a
terrorist attack in Europe."
During the Pope's trip to Tirana, the Albanian
capital, he will celebrate Mass in the city's main square and drive around in
his open-topped Popemobile, as usual, Father Lombardi said.
The Pope wanted there to be "no obstacles"
between him and the ordinary people he will encounter.
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