Convicted cardinal announces he won’t be part of conclave to choose Pope Francis’ successor

A cardinal who was forced by Pope Francis to resign his Vatican job and was later convicted of embezzlement will not take place in the upcoming conclave to choose the next pope. 

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 76, announced Tuesday, “Having at heart 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 not to enter the conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence.” 

Becciu was once an influential Vatican chief of staff who was a leading papal contender himself, according to the Associated Press. But he fell from grace in 2020 when Francis forced him to resign his job as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and his rights as a cardinal because of allegations of financial misconduct in relation to the purchase of a building in London. 

Becciu denied wrongdoing but was put on trial in the Vatican criminal court and convicted of finance-related charges in December 2023. He is appealing the conviction and 5 1/2-year prison sentence and had participated in the pre-conclave meetings, including on Monday. 

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Italian daily Domani reported last week that during the initial pre-conclave discussions, Becciu was presented with two letters signed by Francis before he died saying he should not participate in the conclave.  

Becciu is under the age limit of 80 and technically eligible to vote, but the Vatican’s official statistics list him as a “non-elector.” 

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The conclave is set to begin next Wednesday, while Becciu’s appeal will unfold in September. 

Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez of El Salvador, an 82-year-old who is not eligible to vote in the conclave, said Tuesday that “I have the impression that the conclave will be short, two or three days, this is the feeling we have inside the room,” according to Reuters. 

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The Vatican recently announced “the Sistine Chapel will be closed to the public from Monday 28 April 2025 for the requirements of the Conclave.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.