Pope Francis: If I’m assassinated, at least make it painless

Pope Francis knows he can be assassinated at any moment —but he wants his killers to at least “make it painless” because his holiness says he’s “a real scaredy cat when it comes to physical pain.”

Mar 11, 2015

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis knows he can be assassinated at any moment —but he wants his killers to at least “make it painless” because his holiness says he’s “a real scaredy cat when it comes to physical pain.”

Speaking to a tabloid newspaper in Buenos Aires nearly a year after the first ISIS plot to kill him was revealed, the pontiff opened up about the frightening possibility of being murdered in cold blood.

“Look, life is in God’s hands,” the pope told.

“I have said to the Lord: take care of me. But if your will is that I should die or that they do something to me, I ask you one favor: that they don’t hurt me. Because I’m a real scaredy cat when it comes to physical pain.”

Francis —who was a nightclub bouncer before joining the seminary —was answering questions submitted collectively by residents from the town of Villa La Carcova. The local parish priest, Jose Maria Di Paola, otherwise known as Father Pepe, was in charge of interviewing him.

The Islamic State has issued several threats over the past year against the pope, whom they refer to as the “bearer of false truth,” according to the Catholic News Agency.

Back in August, the terrorist organization claimed that Francis was “in the cross hairs of ISIS” as they planned to “raise the level of confrontation” in Europe.

Just two months ago, an assassination plot to kill his holiness while he visited Manila was thwarted by the Philippines military.

Even though the Vatican denied the close call, a former Special Action Force commander testified before the Philippine senate that a notorious Malaysian terrorist known as Marwan had planned to detonate a bomb Jan. 18 as the papal motorcade began its trip in Manila.

Speaking to Italian police Jan. 22 amid fears that ISIS had been secretly plotting to kill him for months, Francis said he was well aware of the threats —adding that his faith had given him the strength to brush them off.

“On the horizon we see shadows and dangers which worry humanity,” he said. “As Christians we are called not to lose heart or be discouraged.”-- NEWYORK POST