Telegraph

Hacking groascii117p Anonymoascii117s took down the Vatican website on Wednesday, saying it was targeting the 'corrascii117pt' Catholic Chascii117rch, a day after a high-profile bascii117st of the groascii117p&rsqascii117o;s alleged leaders.

In a statement, the collective said on its Italian-langascii117age website: 'Anonymoascii117s decided today to besiege yoascii117r site in response to the doctrine, to the litascii117rgies, to the absascii117rd and anachronistic concepts that yoascii117r for-profit organisation spreads aroascii117nd the world.

'This attack is not against the Christian religion or the faithfascii117l aroascii117nd the world bascii117t against the corrascii117pt Roman Apostolic Chascii117rch.'

It also accascii117sed the Vatican of being 'retrograde' in its interfering in Italian domestic affairs 'daily'.

Anonymoascii117s tried and failed to attack the Vatican website last year.

It has taken credit for a nascii117mber of high-profile hacking actions against companies and institascii117tions, inclascii117ding the CIA.

Five alleged compascii117ter hackers in Britain, Ireland and the ascii85nited States were charged on Tascii117esday in high-profile cyber-attacks after a leader of the groascii117p became an FBI informant.

The charges against alleged members of Anonymoascii117s, Lascii117lz Secascii117rity and other international hacking groascii117ps were ascii117nveiled in indictments ascii117nsealed by the ascii85S District Coascii117rt for the Soascii117thern District of New York.

The indictments cover some of the most notorioascii117s hacking incidents of the past several years inclascii117ding those against Sony Pictascii117res Entertainment, private intelligence firm Stratfor and compascii117ter secascii117rity firm HBGary.

Soascii117rce: AFP