MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cardinal Becciu agrees to step down from papal-choosing conclave

Becciu had said he would be participating in the conclave, but now stepped down “for the good of the Church”

Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, convicted of embezzlement in a Vatican financial scandal involving a luxury London property, agreed Tuesday to Pope Francis' decision to exclude him from the upcoming conclave starting May 7, 2025, despite initially asserting his right to participate. Becciu, sentenced to five and a half years in prison for fraud and financial irregularities, retains his cardinal title and participates in pre-conclave meetings but will not vote in the election of the next pope.

The scandal, which exposed misuse of St. Peter’s Obolus funds, led to his 2020 suspension of cardinal privileges by Francis, who aimed to reform Vatican finances. Becciu’s case caused tension among certain cardinals, who feared his exclusion could affect the conclave's validity.

Becciu, 76, formerly a leading figure in the Vatican, announced his willingness to abide by the Church's decision. There was a time also when he was deemed a possible successor to St Peter's Chair.

“For the good of the Church, which I have served and will continue to serve with fidelity and love, as well as to contribute to the communion and serenity of the conclave, I have decided to obey as I have always done the will of Pope Francis and not to enter the conclave despite remaining convinced of my innocence,” Becciu said in a statement Tuesday.

“The pope recognized my cardinal prerogatives as intact since there was no explicit will to exclude me from the conclave or request for my explicit resignation in writing,” Becciu had said a week earlier. Becciu, the first cardinal to be tried by a Vatican criminal court, was also sentenced to “perpetual” disqualification from holding office in the Holy See.

The once powerful substitute for General Affairs of the Secretary of State and prefect of the Causes of Saints “is an estimable person,” but this does not mean that “he is not guilty,” Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi told reporters.

Meanwhile, Peruvian Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, who was handed down disciplinary measures for an alleged 1983 abuse case against a minor, attends pre-conclave meetings but, at 81, is ineligible to vote. Nevertheless, he came under close scrutiny. Two other cardinals who remained unnamed, although one is believed to be Antonio Cañizares Llovera of Valencia (Spain), have withdrawn from the conclave for health reasons, reducing the number of electors to 133. Of the 252 cardinals, only those under 80 may enter the conclave.

(See also: Convicted cardinal intends to join conclave to choose Francis' successor )