A cardinal convicted of fraud and embezzlement by the Vatican and designated as a “non-elector” is demanding he be allowed to participate in the process to elect the next pontiff, as thousands of mourning faithful line up to pay their last respects to Pope Francis in Rome.
Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, 76, was investigated for taking part in an investment scheme involving a property in London, which wound up costing the church tens of millions of dollars.
Upon his conviction by a Vatican tribunal of judges, he was ordered to serve a five-and-a-half-year jail sentence, and personally ordered by the late Pope Francis to resign the “rights and privileges” of his position in 2020, according to CNN.
It was a spectacular fall from grace for Becciu, who once held the lofty position of “sostituto” (“substitute”) in the Holy See’s Secretariat of State — effectively a chief-of-staff to the pope — becoming the first cardinal ever convicted by the Vatican’s own criminal court in 2023.
His role even afforded him walk-in privileges to see the pope.
After his conviction, Becciu was also accused of using Vatican funds to bribe witnesses in the sex-abuse trial of his rival, Cardinal George Pell, whose conviction was overturned in 2020 after spending 13 months in prison in Australia.
Vatican prosecutors compiled a dossier of evidence that showed Becciu wired more than $800,000 to help sway the testimony against Pell’s case — charges he vehemently denied.
The cardinal maintains his innocence and is in the process of appealing his fraud conviction, during which he’s been allowed to live in his Vatican apartment.
Although the Holy See’s press office now designates him as a “non-elector,” Becciu claimed “there was no explicit will to exclude me from the conclave nor a request for my explicit renunciation in writing” in an interview with a Sardinian newspaper, the outlet writes.
Becciu being stripped of his rights as a cardinal didn’t officially boot him from the College of Cardinals — the body of 135 eligible cardinals who will take part in the conclave when it begins in the next few weeks. This means he’s still eligible to participate in pre-conclave discussions, which have already begun.
Whether he’s allowed to participate will likely be decided by Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is tasked with overseeing the conclave proceedings.
Pope Francis, who died Easter Monday at age 88 after a two-month battle with pneumonia, prioritized getting the Vatican’s financial house in order during his 12-year papacy. He personally changed the law to ensure Becciu was eligible to have a sentence handed down by a Vatican tribunal.
On Wednesday, a massive crowd made its way through St. Peter’s Basilica, where the late pope will lie in state for three days ahead of his Saturday funeral.
Francis’ modest wooden casket was displayed on the historic basilica’s main altar, his body adorned in traditional red robes and a bishop’s miter — his hand grasping a rosary.
In the first eight-and-a-half hours of visitation, nearly 20,000 mourners viewed the pontiff’s open casket, prompting the Vatican to consider extending viewing hours in order to accommodate the turnout.
The public viewing period will end Friday at 7 p.m., at which point the casket will be closed and sealed.
Francis’ funeral will be on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square, with world leaders including President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in attendance.
Following the service, Pope Francis will be interred at the basilica of St. Mary Major near the Vatican, rather than beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, where many of his predecessors were laid to rest.
With Post wires