The suspects have been placed under house arrest for the time being while searches are conducted on their respective properties. The operation, named ‘Tango Down’ by Italian police, was a countrywide crackdown led by the General Public Prosecutor’s Office in Rome. Italian police released a statement saying the four individuals were part of the hacktivist movement and were responsible for attacks on Italian government bodies and the Vatican. However, investigators added that the group also carried out criminal activities using the name of Anonymous as a mask to hide behind.“We have demonstrated that this branch of Anonymous Italy was a criminal organization that used the name of Anonymous as a pretext to carry out their own activities that are not connected to the political agenda of the Anonymous movement in other parts of the world,” said the police statement. According to police information the four individuals hacked into businesses, only to then contact them and sell their own IT solutions as anti-virus software. Anonymous has yet to make a statement regarding the arrest of the four individuals. Last year the Vatican’s website was taken down by the hacktivist group who cited the “corruption” of the Roman Catholic Church as the principle motivation for the cyber-assault. “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,” said a statement posted on the Italian website of the Anonymous movement.”This attack is not against the Christian religion or the faithful around the world but against the corrupt Roman Apostolic Church.” Anonymous rose to prominence in late 2010 when it executed a series of cyber-attacks against companies that were trying to prevent the disclosure of information by whistleblowing site WikiLeaks. More recently the group has carried out attacks on Israeli government websites and shut down media accounts and official sites in North Korea. … Read More
Egypt’s Coptic Pope Tawadros II on historic Vatican visit
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The head of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II
has begun a six day visit to the Vatican, making it the first of such visits in 40 years.
Draped in a black rope, and exchanging gifts, Tawadros greeted Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church. The two relatively new leaders, addressed each other as “Your Holiness”. Pope Tawadros II, 60, came to office last year and Pope Francis, 76, in March.
Tawadros II was accompanied by six priests and bishops for his six-day visit. He is the second Coptic Pope in history to visit the Vatican.
The leaders discussed the growing violence from majority Muslims towards Christians in Egypt, who make up about 15 per cent of the country’s population of 84 million.
An official speech addressing the recent sectarian violence in Egypt was not made. However, prayers were said for Christian Egyptians who say they have seen a rise in attacks against their community since the overthrow of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and the rise of the Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood to power.
More about: Christianity, Egypt, Pope, Pope Francis, Religion
Copyright © 2013 euronews
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Is the FDA Protecting the Public from Self-Sufficiency and Whole Foods with LDS Cannery Crackdown?
We all know that the FDA is present to further the agendas of Big Food and Big Agri as opposed to protecting the best interests of consumers, and rumor has it that their most recent antic is a crackdown on LDS canneries. … Read More
Pope Frances to nuns: Be ‘mothers’ rather than ‘spinsters’
Pope Francis told 800 nuns gathered at the Vatican on Wednesday that they should be spiritual “mothers” rather than “spinsters”, and stressed the importance of showing obedience to the Catholic Church. The pontiff, 76, told the assembly of the International Union of…
One killed in attack on Catholic church in Tanzania
A suspected bomb attack on a new Catholic church in the mainly Christian north of Tanzania, possibly a petrol bomb thrown through a window, has killed at least one person and injured 57, some critically.
The papal envoy to Tanzania was present at the time in the Arusha church near Mount Kilimanjaro. Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla was unhurt in the attack.
If the attack is confirmed it will represent an escalation in religious violence in the East African country after two Christian leaders were killed on the mostly Muslim Tanzanian island of Zanzibar earlier this year. There have also been attacks on Muslim leaders and mosques.
Police say one man has been arrested.
More about: Bomb blast, Church, Tanzania
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Holy Fire ‘miracle’ in Jerusalem church where Jesus was resurrected (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
In what believers regard as a miracle, every year the day before Orthodox Easter, an unlit blue fire from a stone in the Church descends from the dome and ignites a candle held by the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem. Around 10,000 people squeezed into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – regarded by many as the place where Jesus was laid to rest and resurrected – with about as many waiting outside. As the Patriarch received the fire, he passed it around, to other clergymen from other denominations (six of them share the church and consider it a holy site) and onto the gathered pilgrims. The appearance of the flame is symbolic of Jesus’ rise from the dead 40 days after his funeral.Pilgrims let the flames touch their hands – as the Holy Fire supposedly does not burn those who come in contact with it. Those outside watched the ceremony on giant broadcast screens. Candles lit by the Holy Fire were then taken to Nazareth, where Jesus was born, and to the home countries of the assembled clergymen. There are around 300 million Orthodox Christians in the world. The Holy Fire phenomenon was first witnessed in the 9th century, and has been one of the longest-running Orthodox traditions. In the past other Christian denominations, including Roman Catholics, have dismissed the rite as a fraud, although this year, a Catholic clergyman took part in the ceremony in a show of Ecumenical unity. … Read More
Wisconsin church bans NFL star over tweet supporting Jason Collins
Former Green Bay Packer Leroy Butler is reporting that he had a speaking appearance at a Wisconsin church canceled over his tweet in support of openly gay NBA player Jason Collins.The offending tweet? (Get ready to be scandalized): “Congrats to Jason Collins.”Butler says he was contacted by a member of the church and told that he was in violation of his contract’s “moral clause,” and was no longer welcome to speak at the church. But, Butler went on to say, the member told him he would be welcomed back to speak if he would delete his pro-Collins tweet and “ask God for forgiveness.” An offer that Butler, thankfully, declined.More here:[embedtweet id="329447831649800193"][embedtweet id="329448734402412545"][embedtweet id="329450104945770496"][embedtweet id="329450321061482496"]h/t Raw StoryContinue Reading… … Read More
