Italy Dispute over conclave participation: shamed cardinal backs down
In the dispute over his participation in the conclave, the disgraced Cardinal Angelo Becciu has given in. However, he remains "convinced of my innocence".
29.04.2025, 11:22
SDA
"I have decided that, as always, I will follow the will of Pope Francis and will not take part in the conclave," the Italian said in a personal statement.
Becciu's announcement that he would take part in the conclave to elect a new pope - despite his involvement in a financial scandal - had caused a stir in recent days. Francis revoked the 76-year-old's "rights associated with the cardinalate" in 2020 in the wake of the major fraud scandal. His exact status has not been completely clear since then, but Becciu was included in a Vatican list for the conclave as a "non-voter".
Convicted for questionable million-dollar deals
He made his decision to withdraw "for the good of the Church", wrote the cardinal, who comes from Sardinia. He wanted to contribute to the communion and calm of the conclave. The election of a successor to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, begins on May 7.
At the end of 2023, Becciu was the first cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church to be sentenced to five years and six months in prison by a court in the Vatican. The trial concerned questionable deals worth millions in a real estate scandal in which he was involved.
