The papal conclave to elect the next pope may not begin until 7 May, not a day goes by without Vatican bookmakers listing new names of possible cardinals or papabile who may be chosen to head the Holy See. One of them in particular, Matteo Zuppi, has caught the attention of the intelligence services which have interacted with him throughout his career. The president of the Italian Episcopal Conference since 2022, Zuppi engineered the late Pope Francis's public and behind-the-scenes diplomatic initiatives,