The Italian cardinal Becciu was convicted of fraud and excluded by the conclave. The Vatican performed him there as a “non-voter”. Becciu wanted to participate anyway – but then the change of heart came.
The convicted Cardinal Angelo Becciu has officially withdrawn his participation in the pope election. “I decided that, as always, I will follow Pope Francis's will and not enter the conclave,” said the Italian in a personal explanation.
However, he emphasized that he was “convinced” of his innocence. The Vatikangliche had sentenced him to five and a half years in prison in 2023 for embezzlement and fraud in a lost property purchase in London. He is currently defending himself against the punishment and has appealed.
Francis withdrew the Cardinal rights
Due to the upcoming conclave on May 7th, the debate for his personnel flared up again: The 76-year-old had fallen out of favor with his involvement in the financial scandal. Francis had withdrawn cardinal rights in 2020. However, it remained unclear what legal basis and scope this decision has.
Becciu apparently wanted to take part in the conclave. Cardinal state secretary Pietro Parolin, according to the Cardinal, presented two documents signed by Francis in which he had the exclusion of Beccius from the conclave. On the list of the Vatican to the conclave, he was also listed as a “non-voter”.
Becciu: Withdrawal to the “well -being of the church”
According to a report by the Roman daily “IL Messaggero”, Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re and Parolin finally persuaded the cardinal to retreat. Becciu himself explained that when he was not about the “well -being of the church” and the “undisturbance of the conclave”.
As a representative of the Cardinal State Secretary, Becciu was number three in the Vatican from 2011 to 2020. He was the first cardinal in history to be convicted of a court in the Vatican. Before his conviction, he had long been a close consultant of the recently deceased Francis.
Requiem for late Pope in Berlin
While preparations for the election of the next Pope are running in Rome, a great commemorative service for Francis was held in Germany today. In addition to Christian dignitaries, believers from communities and other invited guests, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also took part in his wife Elke Büdenbender, Bundestag president Julia Klöckner and the expected future Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU).
The chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Georg Bätzing, praised the courage and humanity of Francis in his sermon, “his sustainability, openness and loyalty to the gospel”. The Pope always wanted to be close to people. Bätzing also thanked for the great sympathy of Francis' death.
