Vatican turbulence: Cardinal Becciu leaves papal coordination in the middle of the ownership scandal

Cardinal Angelo Becciu announced his withdrawal from participating in the upcoming conclave to choose the new Pope, which is scheduled to begin on May 7. His decision follows the pressure about his approval and reported that “suffering” was caused by the cardinals. Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Although Becciu was not included in the official list of voters, he insisted on his right to take part in the conclave. He confirmed his position in the latest communities and claimed that he had the right to choose Pope Francis' successor. “The Pope recognized my cardinal preliminary right as intact, since there was no explicit will to rule out the conclave or as a request for written resignation,” he said.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the State Secretary under Pope Francis, presented two documents signed by the Pope, which confirmed that Becciu could not take part in the conclave. These letters, one from 2023 and the other from last month, were shown in the early communities, as reported by El tiempo.

Beccius name was closely connected to a scandal to hit the Holy Chair. In 2023, he was convicted of the first degree by the Vatican Tribunal for financial irregularities related to a real estate company in London. He was convicted of five years and six months in prison. The scandal focused on the 200 millions -pfund -Sloane Avenue -property in London, which was acquired as a replacement for general affairs of the secretariat of the state during his term.

In 2020, Pope Francis undertook the unprecedented step to calm down his privileges and to accept his resignation from the position of the community's prefect for the causes of the saints. This marked a fall from Grace for a once physical employee and a powerful figure in the Vatican.

Despite his conviction, Becciu continued to assert his innocence. According to La Repubblica, he told several people that his decision not to participate in the conclave was not a admission of responsibility. As reported, his intention is not to damage the image of the church. “Cardinal Becciu keeps his innocence and convinced that there was a conspiracy behind his conviction,” says the publication.

The withdrawal of Becciu has averted a potential debate among the cardinals about his participation. According to Libero Quotidiano, his insistence could have forced the cardinals to vote in the secret of whether he should enter him in the Sistine chapel for the conclave. The problem had the potential to become a dispute when the church is preparing for the choice of a new Pope.

Angelo Becciu was born in 1948 and joined the diplomatic service of the Holy Chair on May 1, 1984. He has a long diplomatic career after serving in papal representations in the Central African Republic, Sudan, New Zealand, Liberia, Great Britain, France and the United States. Under Pope John Paul II, he was an apostolic nuncio in Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe and under Pope Benedict XVI. He serves as Nuncio to Cuba.

In 2011, Becciu was appointed replacement for general affairs of the secretariat of the state's secretariat and effectively became the third mighty civil servant in the administrative structure of the Vatican. He had this position until 2018 and served under parolin for five years. During this time he was considered a papabile and as a trustworthy consultant of Pope Francis.

The scandal, which led to his downfall, included the purchase of luxury ownership in the upscale Chelsea district in London with ecclesiastical means. An investigation of the agreement discovered allegations for embezzlement, severe fraud and abuse of office. The following process lasted over two years and included 86 hearings that marked an episode in the most recent court history of the Vatican.

Despite the indictment and conviction, Becciu retains his cardinal title, but has no position within the curia. In the statistics of the Vatican, it is considered a non-election cardinal. In addition to the other cardinals, he continues to participate in the general communities, although he has not decided to enter the concrete.

Beccius situation remained a topic of discussion among the cardinals that were gathered in the Vatican in the past few days. Since the conclave approaches, the cardinals strive to solve outstanding problems to ensure a smooth election process. According to Libero Quotidiano, they want to “come to this appointment with the already unsettled nodes”.

The article was written with the support of a news analysis system.

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