Pope Francis Acknowledges Assassination Possibility, Prays It's 'Painless'

Pope Francis has spoken out on the possibility of assassination threats against him, saying he is praying that such an attack would be "painless."

Francis made his comments after a residents in a small Argentinian town submitted questions to the pontiff through the local newspaper. One question asked what Francis thought about "fanatics who want to kill you."

"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 favour: that they don't hurt me," Francis told La Carcova News.

"I'm a real scaredy cat when it comes to physical pain," the pope added.

The pope has previously been warned of possible assassination attempts by the terrorist group the Islamic State, with the Iraqi ambassador to the Holy See warning Francis last year that such assassination threats were "credible."

More recently, Domenico Giani, inspector general of the Corpo della Gendarmeria, the Vatican police department, said in an interview that while an Islamic State attack on the Holy See is possible, there are currently no viable threats.

"The threat exists. This is what has emerged from my conversations with Italian and foreign colleagues," Giani said, adding: "At the moment, I can say that we know of no plan for an attack against the Vatican or the Holy Father."

Francis' outspoken opinion on a variety of controversial subjects, such as homosexuality, makes him an even greater target for the Islamic State, a Syrian-based terrorist group that seeks to establish strict Shariah law in the world.