Defiant cardinal Becciu challenges Vatican conclave rules
Cardinal Angelo Becciu, despite having been stripped of the rights associated with the rank of cardinal and sentenced by the Vatican tribunal, is steadfastly demanding participation in the conclave. He argues that the Vatican's list of cardinals eligible to participate in the conclave "has no legal value." - "It will be my brother cardinals who will decide," he declared.
What you need to know
- Cardinal Angelo Becciu, even though stripped of the rights associated with the rank of cardinal, still maintains that he should participate in the conclave.
- The Vatican tribunal sentenced Becciu to five years and six months in prison for embezzlement and abuse of power, but the cardinal has appealed, claiming he is innocent.
- Becciu claims that the Pope was close to making a decision regarding his status.
At the Vatican, for the fourth time on Friday, cardinals from around the world gathered for a general congregation in Rome. They are making decisions related to preparations for the funeral of Pope Francis and the conclave that is set to elect his successor.
Among those gathered in the new Synod Hall is Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a figure of significant controversy in the Vatican. In 2020, Pope Francis stripped him of the rights associated with the rank of cardinal (while allowing him to retain the title), which meant losing the ability to participate in the conclave. Shortly afterwards, Becciu became the central figure of the "trial of the century" in the Vatican. By the end of 2023, the cardinal was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for embezzlement and abuse of office. Becciu has appealed and maintains he is innocent.
Excluded cardinal wants to participate in the conclave
The cardinal insists that he should participate in the conclave because his situation has changed since 2020. He told "L'Unione Sarda," the main newspaper on his home island of Sardinia, that the Vatican list of ineligible cardinals "has no legal value" and that there was "no explicit willingness" from the Pope to exclude him from the conclave. He also claimed never to have been asked to formally renounce his privileges.
On Thursday evening, in an interview with Reuters, Becciu reiterated these arguments. He added that he believes the Pope was close to making a decision regarding changes to his status.
He told a Reuters reporter that he met with the Pope in January. The Pope supposedly told him, "I think I have found a solution." However, he admitted he does not know if the Pope left any written instructions concerning his situation.
"There is no Becciu case"
He also insisted once again that the Vatican list, on which he appears as a cardinal without the rights to participate in the conclave, "has no legal value." "It will be my brother cardinals who will decide," he declared.
Most cardinals arriving at the Vatican for general congregations decline to comment on Becciu's situation.
When asked on Friday about the Becciu case, Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco responded bluntly: "There is no Becciu case, there are more important matters."
