Pray to save the Pope

Prophets and intelligence agents share fear of attack on John Paul II

A couple weeks ago we ran a short notice announcing that a seer fromMedjugorje had made a special request for prayers for the Pope. The requestwas framed in a way that seemed unusual. In private, the seer wondered whatit meant that the Virgin (who had apparently spurred this suggestion) hadmade such a request.

A week later, we ran several stories about Ned Dougherty, a former New Yorknightclub owner who claims he was warned about a terrorist attack on theVatican during a near-death experience. Dougherty, who says he was shownfuture events by the Virgin Mary, believes the threat remains.

Then, this morning, we see international reports of concern that Bin Laden'smen might strike the Pope in retaliation for the bombing during the Muslimholy time of Ramadan -- and to complete an assassination attempt that failedin 1995.

We carried a similar report from ABC News several days ago and we urgepeople to pray. We think the threat is real. Already, undercover priests aredressing as priests at the Vatican and trucks heading into Rome are beingsearched. We can only imagine the appalling tragedy -- too dreadful tovisualize -- of damage to St. Peter's or the Pope or both.

As we have previously reported [see story], in 1995 an attempt to murder HisHoliness was miraculous thwarted when one of the terrorists accidentallystarted a fire while mixing chemicals for the bombing. This was in Manila,and in the hideout police found clerical robes (indicating the terroristswere going to disguise themselves as priests), as well as a Bible, aCrucifix, a map, and the Pope's itinerary.

Former CIA counterterrorism chief Vince Cannistraro, an ABCNEWS consultant,claimed to an Italian newspaper this weekend that Bin Laden was virtuallycertain to attempt another attack over the holidays. Cannistraro, who alsoadvises the Vatican on security, said the Pope has been and remains a primetarget for Bin Laden. "He looks at the pope as the symbolic head of thecrusaders and a natural target," Cannistraro says.

The mastermind of the 1995 plot was Ramzi Youssef, who was also behind thefirst attempt in 1994 by terrorists to destroy the World Trade Center -- aproject they followed up on with terrible result on September 11. "I amquite sure that there are still some of them in Italy," says RodolfoRonconi, an Interpol official in Italy.

There is official concern the Pope, even behind the heavily guarded walls ofVatican City, could again be a target in the coming holiday season,particularly given the increasing military pressure on Bin Laden, saysAnanova news service -- and indeed a strange airplane event occurred in Romeshortly after September 11.

Dougherty says he is still "conflicted" over the third secret of Fatima,which involved the shooting of a pope and which the Vatican says wasfulfilled when there was the attempt on the Pope's life in 1981. However,Dougherty fears that without adequate prayer the event may still be in thefuture.