Amid the scandalous revelations that the National Security Agency (NSA) secretly spied on Angela Merkel, the German Prime Minister and our other close allies and friends overseas – comes news that the NSA also spied on the internal and secret communications at the Vatican, according to Wikileaks.
The surveillance began in early 2005, according to the date on the intercepts.
The NSA was specifically monitoring the papal conclave.
According to the cable transcript:
“When the 115 Cardinal electors enter the Sistine Chapel April 18 to elect a successor to Pope John Paul II, there will be no clear favorite. Despite intensive media speculation and a series of media bubbles for various candidates, heading into the conclave no candidate appears to have an inside track to the 77 votes (two-thirds of the electors) required for election. As we have reported in the first two parts of this series (refs a and b), the electors will likely be looking for a theologically conservative but socially engaged candidate, who can address the distinctive regional challenges facing the church, capture the public imagination, and run a tight ship in Rome while broadening the sense of collegiality among bishops in the field. This final pre-conclave cable takes a look at the leading papal candidates or “papabile,” from whom the next Pope is likely to be chosen. Still, the many factors at play in the election, the secretiveness of the process, and the unpredictable group SIPDIS dynamics makes handicapping this election almost impossible, as evidenced by the fact that Pope John Paul was not among the papabili at the time of his election in 1978. End Summary.”
The intercept included biographical information on all of the candidates for Pope at the time:
“Dionigi: Cardinal Archbishop of Milan, Italy, board member of four important Vatican offices, formally a senior official of the Italian Bishops Conference. Tettamanzi is an astute theologian specializing in ethics and family issues. Born March 14, 1934 in Renate, near Milan. Ordained a priest on June 28, 1957, he completed his doctorate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and taught theology for 25 years. Former Secretary General of the Italian Bishops Conference, Pope John Paul II nominated him Metropolitan Archbishop of Genoa in 1995 and created him a Cardinal on February 21, 1998. In 2002 he was appointed to the prestigious See of Milan — an appointment seen by many as a reward for his loyalty to John Paul II. The Cardinal’s notable publications deal with moral issues associated with the elderly, women, the family, bio-ethics and virginity. He is thought to be close to Opus Dei. Tettamanzi is a moderate who may be able gain the support of and mediate between conservatives and liberals. An intellectual with a pastoral flair, he enjoys a reputation for being discerning and clear-sighted. He speaks limited English. After a high-visibility start in Milan that earned him the reproach of Vatican insiders who believed he was promoting his papal credentials too vigorously, Tettamanzi has more recently kept a lower profile. In Milan, Tettamanzi has impressed people with his pastoral sensitivity, openness to the city’s young people, and ability to grapple with complicated moral and social issues, placing them within a comprehensible modern context. While probably Italy’s best candidate, his lack of language skills may work against him at the conclave” (source: Wikileaks: http://wikileaks.org/cable/2005/04/05VATICAN466.html).
Catholics I talk to are incensed over the revelation that the NSA spied on the Pope and the Vatican.
One Catholic, who declined to be named in the report asked:” Why would the NSA monitor the Pope – he is not a terrorist is he?” Adding “that it doesn’t make much sense – how is this going to prevent a terrorist attack?”
The Vatican refused comment via email on this situation.
See related video: Papal Conclave 2013: Cardinals take oath of secrecy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5kuGnvuGGI
See related article: NSA spied on Vatican And Top Cardinals, says Italian report http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/30/nsa-vatican_n_4177882.html