Panorama, an Italian weekly publication, asserts that the NSA had made a habit of monitoring Popes, including the previous, Benedict, and the present, Francis.

Panorama, an Italian weekly publication, asserts that the NSA had made a habit of monitoring the Pope’s phone calls, including the previous, Benedict XVI, and the present, Francis I.

Further, according to the magazine, the residence phone where now Pope Francis I stayed during the March conclave was being monitored by the agency.

It’s also asserted that the communications among the bishops and cardinals in the Vatican in the days leading up to the secret election were listened in on.

All of that information was gathered and assigned to four categories: ‘leadership intentions’, ‘threats to financial system’, ‘human rights’ and ‘foreign policy objectives’.

The calls were among 46 million throughout Italy said to have been NSA monitored between early December of 2012 through early January 2013, and continued during the papal election.

The magazine also reports that US interest in Pope Francis I started long before he was elected leader of the Catholic Church.

In one leaked comment, an embassy official said of the then archbishop, he “has been reluctant to accept honours or hold high office and commutes to work on a bus.”

The NSA has denied the allegations made by the magazine which has not quoted any sources.