An Italian priest with close ties to Pope Francis has been identified as a target of sophisticated government-backed surveillance, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration amid ongoing spyware scandals.
Father Mattia Ferrari, a chaplain on the migrant rescue vessel of NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans, was alerted by Meta in February 2024 that he had been attacked with a “sophisticated attack aided by unidentified government actors.” This comes after identical reports by NGO founder Luca Casarini and human rights defender David Yambio, who also fell victim to military-grade spyware.
Ferrari’s notification came just months after he, Casarini, and Yambio met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The meeting aimed to console a Cameroonian man whose wife and child perished in the desert after being expelled by Tunisian authorities. Ferrari, who has been in regular telephone contact with the pope, expressed concern over the surveillance, stating, “Helping those in need seems to have become a subversive act.”
The Vatican’s close connection to the case adds gravity to the controversy, especially as Pope Francis, currently hospitalized, has publicly praised Ferrari’s humanitarian efforts. In a January interview, Francis described him as “a good guy” and acknowledged their phone conversations.
The spyware, developed by Israel-based Paragon, was allegedly used to target 90 individuals, including seven in Italy. While Paragon has since severed ties with Italy, opposition leaders are demanding accountability from Meloni’s government, which has denied involvement and invoked state secrecy rules.
Citizen Lab, a Toronto University research team, is researching the surveillance. Senior researcher John Scott-Railton characterized the trend of spyware attacks against activists and journalists as a “blinking red light,” a serious and coordinated attack.