Imagine a world where the highest levels of government discuss military operations in group chats and journalists are casually observing the conversation. It sounds like the plot of a political thriller, doesn’t it?
But recent reports reveal that Trump administration officials exactly did that; they were openly debating a bombing run in Yemen.
Now, Americans are left questioning the boundaries of government secrecy. And, a very different kind of confidentiality debate is quietly opening up within the Catholic Church. Unlike the state’s tightly classified files, the Church maintains its own secrecy version; the pontifical secret. It is a formal safeguard meant to protect sensitive information about bishops, canonical trials, and other internal matters.
The pontifical secret is not so much a vault of immense mysteries as it comes off as a structured form of confidentiality. It has topics like the selection of bishops, canonical investigations, and other church matters deemed sensitive enough to require discretion. For centuries, this level of secrecy has been present to preserve the integrity of internal processes and prevent any undue influence. Any kind of violation of the pontifical secret can even lead to canonical penalties, including excommunication in severe cases.
But there’s often an air of ambiguity around what exactly falls under this secret. Pope Francis clarified in 2019 that accusations, trials, and decisions concerning clerical sexual abuse are exempt from pontifical secrecy. However, a culture of silence has been prevalent in many instances. Even the acknowledgment of an ongoing investigation can be shrouded in uncertainty.
This lack of clarity has led to some tongue-in-cheek definitions within the Church. One common quip is that the pontifical secret means “you can only tell one person at a time.” Another joke? “Everyone knows but the pontiff.”
We have breaking news from the Vatican, on a historic rule change that is expected to make it easier to investigate allegations of sexual abuse by priests.
Pope Francis declared this morning that clergy abuse cases will no longer be handled as a so-called “pontifical secret.” pic.twitter.com/vTsntbwSgw
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) December 17, 2019
Outside the Vatican walls, bishops and church officials usually rely on secure channels to communicate. In countries where the Church faces persecution, confidential communication can mean the difference between safety and severe repercussions. That’s where the Vatican’s diplomatic network comes in.
Apostolic nuncios, essentially the Vatican’s ambassadors, stand as critical links. It uses diplomatic pouches that are protected by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. These locked containers are safe from government interference and stay as one of the most reliable methods for transmitting sensitive information. It might be slower than email or phone calls but the pouch system is a safeguard for the Church’s most confidential messages.
Then there’s the fabled Vatican Secret Archive. It was renamed as the Apostolic Archives in 2019. It primarily contains historical documents and official papal records. Much of it is accessible to researchers; though the most contemporary files are off-limits.
On a smaller scale, every diocese has a secret archive of its own. Canon law mandates that it be kept “completely closed and locked,” with only the bishop holding the key. Documents that include canonical trials, especially those involving criminal cases, are stored here under strict confidentiality.
4. The Secret Archive of the Vatican, Vatican. The Vatican Secret Archive is not an ordinary library. It contains personal documents of all the popes since the 8th century. Among the treasures hidden in the archives is the papal bull of Leo X, excommunicating Martin Luther etc. pic.twitter.com/wkfi2dPK6n
— ThaRealBello LFC (@ThaRealBello) July 8, 2022
But even with traditional safeguards in place, the digital age has challenges. Vatican rarely discusses its cybersecurity measures but past instances show there are possibilities of vulnerabilities.
In 2015, hackers from the Anonymous collective breached Vatican websites. Three years later, RedDelta, a hacker group with suspected ties to the Chinese government, targeted the Holy See during sensitive negotiations with Beijing. And in 2022, the Vatican’s website went offline, reportedly under a DDoS attack; just a day after Pope Francis criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Cybersecurity experts have also flagged glaring risks. Andrew Jenkinson, CEO of British cybersecurity firm CIP, warned, “Over 90% of their websites were showing as ‘Not Secure.’ There is no excuse for such basic security failures.”
In fact, lax security once led to the leak of confidential records from the 2023 Synod on Synodality. Reports, participant lists, and group assignments were found on an unprotected cloud server which was freely accessible to anyone who would come across them!
And it’s not just external threats. In 2021, there were concerns regarding the use of hookup apps within the Vatican’s secured areas. Though the Vatican was notified, updates on any corrective actions are still elusive.
Surprisingly, encrypted messaging apps are not off-limits for Vatican officials. American security personnel faced criticism for using platforms like Signal and WhatsApp and it turns out similar habits are alive and well in the Church.
Curial officials often assume phone calls and emails are anything but private. In departments like the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith or the Secretariat of State, whispers of wiretaps and electronic surveillance are an acknowledged risk.
“Cardinals have recorded private calls with the pope, auditors have claimed their offices were bugged, and senior officials have gone on record, admitting to using ‘electronic surveillance’ experts to look into their rivals,” reports confirm. It’s no wonder that apps like WhatsApp and Signal are popular choices for sensitive discussions. Even in recent Vatican trials, WhatsApp messages have damning evidence.
Synod participants process in for the closing Mass. Notable that non-ordained delegates process in before the bishops, emphasising that the church that is firstly a people & secondly a hierarchy #Synod2023 pic.twitter.com/Y4BT9J37ou
— Christopher Lamb (@ctrlamb) October 29, 2023
For all its procedures and safeguards, secrecy in the Church has its costs.
But just like in politics, the line between security and transparency is very delicate. Whether it’s a bombing run in Yemen or a bishop’s appointment, how much the public has a right to know is a big question without an easy answer.
After all, even in the Vatican, some secrets are bound to slip through the cracks.
