Italian Magazine: NSA 'Spied On Future Pope Francis During Vatican Conclave'

Before being elected as Pope Francis ... the NSA monitored calls to and from the Rome residence where the then Archbishop Bergoglio stayed, according to Italian news magazine Panorama. Photo: Reuters

Italian Magazine Says US Spies Listened To Pope, Vatican Says Unaware -- Reuters

Oct 30 (Reuters) - An Italian magazine said on Wednesday that a United States spy agency had eavesdropped on Vatican phone calls, possibly including when former Pope Benedict's successor was under discussion, but the Holy See said it had no knowledge of any such activity.

Panorama magazine said that among 46 million phone calls followed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) in Italy from Dec. 10, 2012, to Jan. 8, 2013, were conversations in and out of the Vatican.

In a press release before full publication on Thursday, Panorama said the "NSA had tapped the pope". It cited no source for its information.

Asked to comment on the report, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said: "We are not aware of anything on this issue and in any case we have no concerns about it."

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More News On Reports That The NSA Spied On The Future Pope During The Vatican Conclave

US 'spied on future Pope Francis during Vatican conclave': Italian magazine -- Sydney Morning Herald
US 'eavesdropped on Vatican in run-up to conclave' -- Global Post/AFP
US 'spied on future Pope Francis during Vatican conclave' -- The Telegraph
New claims US spied on Vatican as it picked new Pope -- Channel 4 News
Report: NSA spied on Vatican before conclave -- The Hill
‘Great American ear’ accused of listening in on secretive Vatican in run up to Conclave -- RT
US 'spied on Vatican in run-up to conclave' -- Al Jazeera
REPORT: NSA May Have Spied On The Vatican During The Papal Conclave -- Business Insider
Vatican not worried about possibility U.S. monitored its calls -- Catholic News Service