Teenager Admitted Plot To Assassinate Pope Francis, Potential Sniper Was Undercover FBI

A teenager from New Jersey admitted having a plan to assassinate Pope Francis during his visit to Philadelphia in 2015.

Santos Colon Jr., 17, planned to hire a sniper to kill the pope during a mass, and the detonation of explosive devices in the vicinity. According to Primera Hora, Federal prosecutors say Colon acknowledged planning the killing for nearly two months before the pontiff's visit to the United States.

The Lindenwold resident pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material for the support of terrorists in Camden federal court before the U.S. District Court Judge Noel L. Hillman. He is being tried as an adult; and is facing a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Colon often used the adopted name "Ahmad Shakoor" while he was planning the attacks. He contacted a potential sniper, who turned out to be an undercover FBI agent. Prosecutors pointed out that the 17-year-old ordered to buy materials to make explosive devices, but they have not identified a motive for the plot.

This in not the first time someone attempts against the life of Pope Francis. The Southeast Asian Jihadist terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah reportedly planned to kill Pope Francis during his trip to the Philippines. The plan was to detonate a bomb along the route of the papal motorcade, but the same was prevented by adjustments to the Pope’s program.

At the time, the Islamic Congregation placed an explosive device manufactured by Marwan on Kalaw Street, where the papal caravan was to pass en route to Rizal Park.

Pope Francis condemned persecution of religious minorities in Iraq but he did not mention the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant specifically, but is believed to have referred to it. In the opinion of Francis, war and hatred cannot be carried out in the name of God, and he confidently expects an effective solution to stop crimes.

He is well known for being a "pro-dialogue" person and he's always shown himself as a friend of the Islamic community.