A cardinal convicted of financial crimes by the Vatican who was demanding he should be able to participate in the upcoming conclave to decide who will replace Pope Francis now says he will not take part in it.
Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, 76, was asked by Francis to step down from his position and resign all “rights and privileges” of being a cardinal at the Vatican in 2020 after he was accused of being involved in embezzlement and fraud. Three years later, Becciu was convicted of the charges and given a five-and-a-half-year sentence.
Since his conviction, Becciu has maintained his innocence. Last week, he told a Sardinian newspaper that despite being labeled by the Holy See's press office a "non-elector" in the conclave, "there was no explicit will to exclude me from the conclave nor a request for my explicit renunciation in writing."
Becciu released a statement on Tuesday, saying "I have decided to obey, as I have always done, Pope Francis' will not to enter the Conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence."
Here’s what we know about Becciu:
He held 2 of the highest positions at the Vatican before he was convicted
Becciu has been involved with the Vatican since 2001. In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as substitute for general affairs in the secretariat of state, similar to a chief of staff position, making him the third most powerful person at the Vatican.
Francis made Becciu a cardinal in 2018 and then appointed him prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, another powerful position where he was in charge of the Vatican's saint-making department.
He renounced his cardinal rights in 2020 after he was accused of being involved in a financial scandal
The Vatican issued a statement in September 2020 announcing that Francis had accepted Becciu's resignation from his position at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and "his rights connected to the cardinalate." The Vatican identified Becciu as "His Eminence Cardinal," which means that Becciu still had the cardinal title but none of the rights.
At the time, it was reported that Becciu was involved in a financial scandal involving the Vatican’s investment in a real estate deal in London.
In 2014, the Vatican entered a real estate venture by investing $200 million in a fund run by Raffaele Mincione, an Italian businessman, to grant the Vatican 45% ownership of a luxury building in London's Chelsea neighborhood, the Associated Press reported. The investment funds came from the asset portfolio of the secretariat of state, which Becciu had been No. 2 in at the time, and is funded by Peter's Pence donations from Catholics around the world. Peter's Pence donations are forwarded to the pope to help maintain the Vatican and donate to charities.
When Becciu left the position in 2018 after Francis named him a cardinal, Becciu's successor wanted to end the fund and buy out the full building to avoid losing more money. Instead, the buyout deal cost the Vatican millions of euros, which launched the investigation into Becciu and other Vatican employees involved in organizing the deal in 2014.
Becciu wasn't investigated only because of the London building. He was also accused of funneling money to his home diocese of Sardinia, BBC News reported.
In 2022, Becciu was accused of sending large amounts of money to Australia when an Australian cardinal was on trial.
Becciu is the 1st cardinal to be tried and convicted by the Vatican’s criminal court
Becciu and nine other defendants — including financiers, lawyers and former Vatican employees — faced charges including embezzlement, fraud, money laundering and abuse of office, according to BBC News.
After two years of trials, the Vatican court sentenced Becciu to five and a half years in jail for financial crimes in December 2023. Becciu became the first cardinal to be tried and convicted by the Vatican's criminal court.
“We reaffirm Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s innocence and will appeal,” Becciu’s lawyer, Fabio Viglione, said after the verdict. “We respect the ruling, but we will definitely appeal.”
Becciu and his lawyer have appealed the 2023 ruling. While the appeal process is ongoing, Becciu has avoided jail and has been allowed to live in his Vatican apartment.
