15-year-old arrested in United States for threatening ISIS attack on Pope Francis

The FBI arrested a minor near Philadelphia for allegedly threatening to attack Pope Francis on behalf of the Islamic State.

data-mce-style="margin: 0; padding: 0; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; word-wrap: break-word;" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (Catholic Online) - A 15-year-old boy was arrested for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and attempting to provide support to terrorist activity.

A joint intelligence bulletin by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued last month read, "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."

ABC News reported the "foreign dignitary" was actually Pope Francis and the attack the boy planned was to take place during the Pope's upcoming tour of the United States.

The bulletin continued, saying, "The minor obtained explosives instructions and further disseminated these instructions through social media."

Though it has not been confirmed, it is highly likely that the teenager is the person House Homeland Security Committee chairman Mike McCaul mentioned with he said U.S. authorities "have disrupted one particular case" of a papal threat.

Sources close to the boy's case reported his plans were merely "aspirational," posing no immediate threat. The FBI-DHS bulletin used the incident to show ISIS' success at using social media to inspire impressionable youths in America. This is the latest of "several recent instances" that "demonstrate some youth are vulnerable to messaging from [ISIS] and its supporters."

"[I]nnovative use of social media and messaging has played a key role in motivating young U.S.-based males and females to travel to join the self-declared Islamic State or allegedly attempt to conduct attacks in the Homeland on behalf of" ISIS, the bulletin continued.

There have been several cases of teens and young adults supporting ISIS, including a Mississippi couple who tried to join ISIS, a group of sex young Minnesota men attempting to sneak into Syria and the son of a Boston police captain charged in an ISIS bomb plot.

Despite the onslaught of brainwashed youths, Law enforcement officials said there is no specific credible threat to the Pope during his U.S. visit.

Two million people are expected to attend Pope Francis' outdoor mass in Philadelphia and His Holiness will also be appearing in New York City, a Harlem school, the United Nations, Central Park and Madison Square Garden. His habit of stepping into crowd pose as a security risk.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "We've never seen anything like this before ... the largest security challenge that the department and the city has ever faced."

In preparation of the papal visit, local, state and federal agencies have been meeting and holding drills to ensure tight security.

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