ROME — The Vatican website was back online by 3:00am Thursday local time after hacking group Anonymous took down the site Wednesday.
Anonymous said it was targeting the “corrupt” Catholic Church, a day after a high-profile bust of the group’s alleged leaders, AFP reported.
“Anonymous decided today to besiege your site in response to the doctrine, to the liturgies, to the absurd and anachronistic concepts that your for-profit organization spreads around the world,” the hackers said in a statement.
“This attack is not against the Christian religion or the faithful around the world but against the corrupt Roman Apostolic Church,” said the statement, posted on the Italian-language version of the Anonymous website.
Anonymous tried and failed to attack the Vatican website last year.
Five alleged computer hackers in Britain, Ireland and the United States were charged Tuesday in high-profile cyber-attacks after a leader of the group became an FBI informant.
The charges against alleged members of Anonymous, Lulz Security and other international hacking groups were unveiled in indictments unsealed by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.