NSA accused of pre-conclave espionage

The National Security Agency faces claims of spying at Vatican conclave

Pope Francis delivering a speech to the world's cardinals. The NSA is being accused of spying on the Pope before and during the conclave earlier this year. Photo: The Telegraph website.

Nick Squires writes an article for The Telegraph regarding the accusations being faced by the American National Security Agency.

An Italian weekly news magazine, Panorama, claims that the NSA monitored numerous phone calls made to and from the residence in Rome of the then Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio during the Vatican conclave last spring.

The information was provided by Cryptome, a website that gathers intelligence on surveillance and national security.

 
Archbishop Bergoglio was of interest to U.S. diplomats and intelligence agencies as far back as 2005, when he was mentioned as a possible candidate for the papacy after the death of John Paul II.

According to U.S. State Department cables released by WikiLeaks in March this year, the U.S. embassy to the Holy See drew up a profile of him, describing him as a “wise pastor” who had been praised for his “humility."

Brent Hardt, the embassy’s charge d’affaires, discussed the future Pope as one of 16 possible candidates, noting that he “has been reluctant to accept honours or hold high office and commutes to work on a bus.”

The full story is available on The Telegraph website.