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,openletters, and even puffs ofpink 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 healthscare 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.

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 her-esy, 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 cardinalsand 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`.-Reuters