Convicted Italian Cardinal Bows Out of Conclave to Choose New Pope
Disgraced Cardinal Becciu Withdraws from Papal Conclave Amid Ongoing Legal Battle
- Cardinal Giovanni Becciu announces he will not participate in the upcoming papal conclave
- The cardinal, convicted of embezzlement and fraud, is appealing his conviction
- Becciu’s absence marks a significant development in the upcoming May 7 conclave
Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, a once-prominent Vatican official convicted of financial crimes, has announced he will not participate in the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope.
Becciu, who was stripped of his cardinal privileges by Pope Francis in 2020 after being implicated in a major financial scandal, confirmed his withdrawal on Tuesday, stating, “I have decided to obey, as I have always done, Pope Francis’ will not to enter the Conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence.”
His decision comes just a week after publicly suggesting he had not been formally barred from the conclave. Despite appealing his 2023 conviction for embezzlement and fraud—which earned him a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence—Becciu remains housed within Vatican City during the ongoing legal process.
Once a key figure in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State and later head of the department overseeing sainthood causes, Becciu’s influence was significant until his fall from grace.
The Vatican has scheduled the secret conclave for May 7, where cardinals from around the world will gather to choose a successor following the recent death of Pope Francis.
