Teenager Detained Over Threats to Attack Pope Francis During U.S tour

 A teenage Pennsylvanian boy has been detained by the FBI for allegedly threatening to launch an ISIS-inspired assault on Pope Francis during the Catholic leader's US tour, ABC News reports.

"The minor was inspired by ISIS and sought to conduct a detailed homeland attack which included multiple attackers, firearms, and multiple explosives, targeting a foreign dignitary at a high-profile event," said a joint intelligence bulletin by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security cited by ABC News.

Pope Francis is arriving the U.S next week for a six day trip.

"The minor obtained explosives instructions and further disseminated these instructions through social media," said the joint intelligence bulletin.

The teenager has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organisation and attempting to provide material support to terrorist activity, the bulletin added. But the network said sources familiar with the case emphasised that any threat from him was not imminent. Questions about the boy’s mental health were also raised.

Despite repeated threats from ISIS and other groups to target the Pope and the Vatican more broadly over the past year, there is no specific, credible threat to the Pope during his visit to the United States next week, law enforcement officials said Monday.

"We will not comment on any specific investigation or threat," a spokeswoman for the FBI’s field office in Philadelphia said in a statement sent to The Independent.

"The FBI is working closely with the United States Secret Service and our federal, state and local partners in advance of the papal visit to ensure the safety and security of all." she added.

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TOUCHING : Pope Francis Asks For Forgiveness For All The Child S*xual Abuse Scandals By Catholic Priests

Pope Francis on ground during the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday at St Peter's basilica at the Vatican.

 Pope Francis on today said he felt responsible for the child sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, and has issued an unprecedented apology.

 He made the remarks during a meeting with the International Catholic Child Bureau (Bice), a non—governmental organization. Pope Francis said:

“I feel compelled to personally take on all the evil which some priests, quite a few in number, obviously not compared to the number of all the priests, to personally ask for forgiveness for the damage they have done for having sexually abused children.

The Church is aware of this damage, it is personal, moral damage carried out by men of the Church, and we will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem, and the sanctions that must be imposed,” the pontiff added.

Francis also stressed that children have to be protected against all forms of violence, including slave labour and enrollment in child armies, and given the right “to grow up in a family with a father and a mother.” 

Starting from Francis’ predecessor, Benedict XVI, the Catholic Church has taken an increasingly tough line on child abuse. A growing number of priests accused of molesting children have been defrocked, while penalties in the Vatican legal code have been stiffened.

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