Cardinal convicted of embezzlement won't participate in conclave for Pope Francis's successor

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Apr 29, 2025 9:45 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

An Italian cardinal who was convicted of embezzlement and fraud said connected Tuesday helium volition not instrumentality portion successful the concealed conclave to elite the caller pope that volition beryllium held adjacent week pursuing the decease of Pope Francis.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the astir elder Catholic Church authoritative ever to basal proceedings earlier a Vatican transgression court, was sentenced to 5½ years successful jailhouse successful December 2023. He denies each wrongdoing and is escaped pending an entreaty that is scheduled to statesman successful September.

"Having astatine bosom the bully of the Church.... I person decided to obey, arsenic I ever have, the volition of Pope Francis and to not participate the conclave, inactive remaining convinced of my innocence," said Becciu.

In caller days, Becciu had asserted helium had a close to participate the Sistine Chapel for the conclave with different cardinals opening May 7.

Francis, who died connected April 21 astatine the property of 88, elevated Becciu and respective others to the fertile of cardinal successful 2018. But 2 years later, the pope asked for his resignation owed to allegations of embezzlement and nepotism.

The pope allowed Becciu to support his ecclesiastical rubric and his Vatican flat but stripped him of what the Vatican said astatine the clip were "the rights associated with the Cardinalate," leaving ambiguity implicit whether helium could articulation the conclave.

Becciu's troubles occurred arsenic an outgrowth of investigations into the Holy See's concern successful a luxury London property. 

Prosecutors began looking into different deals, including 125,000 euros ($182,600 Cdn) successful Vatican wealth that helium sent to a diocesan foundation successful his autochthonal Sardinia. Prosecutors alleged embezzlement, since the foundation was tally by his brother. Becciu argued that the section bishop requested the wealth for a bakery to employment at-risk youth, and that the wealth remained successful the diocesan coffers. 

He was indicted successful 2021.

LISTEN l Theologian Massimo Faggioli connected what mightiness transpire astatine May conclave:

'Fraternal and sincere atmosphere'

About 135 cardinals nether the property of 80, from each corners of the world, are eligible to instrumentality portion successful the ballot for the adjacent caput of the 1.4-billion-member church, which is beset by concerns implicit its finances and divisions implicit doctrine.

The erstwhile 2 conclaves, held successful 2005 and 2013, lasted conscionable 2 days. But immoderate since the opening of the 20th period lasted arsenic agelong arsenic 5 days.

Some of the cardinals appointed by Francis, who appointed galore cardinals from countries who had ne'er had them before, had not antecedently met.

However, Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez of El Salvador said connected Tuesday helium felt this conclave could beryllium wrapped up swiftly.

"I person the content that the conclave volition beryllium short, 2 oregon 3 days — this is the feeling we person wrong the room," helium told reporters. Given his property of 82, Chavez volition not beryllium eligible to vote.

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, caput of Baghdad's Chaldean Catholic Church, besides said helium expected a abbreviated process to elite a successor to Francis, who was the archetypal pope from Latin America.

"There is simply a fraternal and sincere atmosphere, truthful it is the tone of work to take idiosyncratic who would proceed Pope Francis's work," helium said.

The conclave is being held astatine the 16th-century Sistine Chapel.

A pope is elected erstwhile a campaigner receives astatine slightest two-thirds of the eligible vote.   

The cardinal electors travel from much than 70 countries, with 4 Canadian cardinals eligible to enactment successful the conclave: Thomas Collins, Michael Czerny, Francis Leo and Gérald Lacroix. 

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who turns successful 81 successful June, is ineligible to ballot but is not eliminated from information arsenic the adjacent and 267th pope. When the 2013 ballots were revealed, Ouellet had placed 3rd successful each 5 ballots, down Italian cardinal Angelo Scola and Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the sanction Francis arsenic pope successful honour of St. Francis of Assisi.

Hallowed traditions

Cardinals formed their votes connected papers printed with the Latin words "Eligo successful Summum Pontificem" ("I take arsenic Supreme Pontiff"). The ballots are gathered unneurotic and burned astatine the extremity of the greeting and day sessions, with fume pouring from a makeshift chimney supra the Sistine Chapel. 

Black fume indicates inconclusive votes, portion achromatic fume tells the extracurricular satellite that a pope has been chosen. 

The large doorbell of St. Peter's Basilica volition ringing retired arsenic an further motion that a caller pope has been elected. 

After a pope is chosen, a elder cardinal appears connected the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and announces successful Latin: "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. Habemus Papam." That translates to: "I denote to you large joy. We person a pope."

The cardinal past identifies the caller pope by his fixed name, with his archetypal sanction translated into its Latin version, and past announces the papal name, besides successful Latin, the caller person of the religion has chosen. 

The papal names astir often chosen person been John (23 times), Gregory (16), Benedict (16), Clement (14), Innocent (13), Leo (13) and Pius (12).