A cardinal, previously compelled to resign from his Vatican position and subsequently found guilty of embezzlement, will not participate in the upcoming conclave to select Pope Francis’ successor.
Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 76, stated on Tuesday, “Bearing in mind the well-being of the Church, which I have faithfully and lovingly served and will continue to serve, and to contribute to the communion and serenity of the conclave, I have decided to obey, as I always have, the will of Pope Francis not to enter the conclave, while remaining convinced of my innocence.”
Once a highly influential chief of staff and a leading contender for the papacy, according to the Associated Press, Becciu’s standing diminished in 2020. Pope Francis forced his resignation as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and stripped him of his rights as a cardinal following allegations of financial misconduct related to a London property purchase.
Becciu denied any wrongdoing but was tried in the Vatican criminal court and convicted on finance-related charges in December 2023. He is appealing the conviction and the 5 1/2-year prison sentence, and had attended the pre-conclave meetings, including the one on Monday.
Italian daily Domani reported the previous week that during the initial pre-conclave discussions, Becciu was presented with two letters, signed by Francis before his death, stating that he should not participate in the conclave.
Although Becciu is under the age of 80 and therefore technically eligible to vote, the Vatican’s official statistics list him as a “non-elector.”
The appeal of Becciu will unfold in September, after the next .
Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez of El Salvador, 82, who cannot vote in the conclave, said on Tuesday that “I have the impression that the conclave will be short, two or three days, this is the feeling we have inside the room,” according to Reuters.
The Vatican recently announced “the Sistine Chapel will be closed to the public from Monday 28 April 2025 for the requirements of the Conclave.”