US EditionPope meets with Italian secret agents and urges them to be ethical
Pope Leo XIV called for legal oversight and respect for rights during Italy's intelligence centenary, highlighting ethical duties amid evolving risks and 30 million pilgrims visiting Rome.
- On Friday, Pope Leo XIV met Italy's Security Intelligence System on their centenary, warning them not to use confidential information to intimidate, manipulate, blackmail, or discredit others.
- Marking their centenary this year, Italy's Security Intelligence System works closely with Vatican law enforcement during the Holy Year amid heavy pilgrim flows.
- He urged that professionalism be accompanied by ethics, saying intelligence services must respect human dignity and rights while ensuring proportionality, legal clarity, judicial authorities oversight, and transparent finances.
- Welcoming the group, Pope Leo XIV thanked agents for their delicate work, paid tribute to fallen operatives, and referenced the Vatican criminal investigation opened a year ago into alleged leaks tied to an Italian financial police official.
- Warning of information-era risks, Pope Leo XIV said a data-saturated world demands vigilance and high moral standards from intelligence personnel and the Church.
40 Articles
40 Articles
The Straits Times
Pope tells Italian spies not to smear politicians or journalists
ROME, Dec 12 - Pope Leo on Friday urged Italy's intelligence services to avoid smearing public figures and journalists, saying abuse of confidential material risked undermining democracy and public trust. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Pope Implores Italy's '007s' to Be Ethical
Pope Leo XIV met Friday with members of Italy's intelligence services and warned them not to use confidential information for blackmailing or other nefarious purposes. Leo urged the 007s, as the Italian agents are popularly known, to do their work professionally and ethically, always respecting the human dignity of those...
Associated Press News
Pope meets with Italian secret agents and urges them to be ethical
Pope Leo XIV has met with members of Italy’s intelligence services and warned them not to use confidential information for blackmailing or other nefarious purposes.
catholicworldreport.com
Pope warns about risks to Church when intelligence agencies ‘act for nefarious purposes’
Pope Leo XIV speaks to people who work in Italy’s intelligence sector in the Vatican’s Hall of Blessings on Dec. 12, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media Vatican City, Dec 12, 2025 / 09:11 am (CNA). Pope Leo XIV warned that intelligence agencies in so... [...]
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