VATICAN CITY: Throughout history, there has been no shortage of outside attempts to influence the outcome of a conclave to elect a new pope, either by European monarchs, Italy’s noble families or even Romans who rioted in the streets to stand by their man.

Today’s influencers use social media, television and newspaper interviews, news conferences, open letters, and even puffs of pink smoke. The campaigns to sway the outcome of a highly uncertain conclave started in earnest minutes after the announcement of Pope Francis’ death on Easter Monday and must end by Wednesday afternoon when the cardinal electors will be cut off from the outside world until they choose a successor.

Two episodes, in particular, have stood out as deliberate attempts to sabotage leading contenders for the papacy using underhand tactics. Last Thursday, reports circulated on right-wing US Catholic social media and on the site of a conservative Italian newspaper that Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is on most shortlists to become pope, had suffered a health scare and needed an hour of medical treatment.

The Vatican spokesman said the reports were totally false. Italian media said it was an attempt to “poison” the 70-year-old cardinal’s chances by implying that his body was not up to the job. “This was a clear attempt to penalise Parolin,” Italian Cardinal Francesco Cocco­palmerio told an Italian newspaper.

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A few days after Pope Francis’ death, a six-year-old video of Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle singing parts of John Lennon’s “Imagine” in 2019 emerged on social media.

American and Italian conservative Catholic social media accused him of heresy, with one Italian traditionalist site asking: “Is this who we want as pope?” Tagle’s supporters countered that he had sung an abbreviated version that excluded the lyrics about no heaven and no religion.

“From the right and from the left, fake news about possible popes is going wild,” wrote Paolo Rodari, a Vatican commentator for RSI Swiss radio and television.

Pushing conservatives

Two well-known conservative journalists, Edward Pentin, a Briton, and Diane Montagna, an American, have prepared a 200-page, large format book in English and Italian called “The College of Cardinals Report”. It includes profiles of 30 cardinals and their stand on key doctrinal and social issues.

Montagna has been handing it to cardinals entering and leaving the pre-conclave meetings. Pentin said the book was “a service to the Church” and the inclusion of profiles of several ultra-conservative cardinals generally seen as having no chance of being elected was to give space to the possibility of “divine intervention” during the conclave.

On the other side of the spectrum, young, progressive Catholics from northern Europe have penned an open letter, urging the cardinals to pick a man who will continue with Pope Francis’ reforms, saying he “opened doors, broke taboos”.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2025