The Italian cardinal Angelo Becciu, 76 years old, has been sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison for financial irregularities and is currently awaiting the resolution of his case. Becciu held high positions in the Secretariat of State and in the Causes of Saints in the Vatican. Although he was considered a respectable person, he was tried and convicted, becoming the first cardinal to face a Vatican criminal court.
The scandal that triggered this situation relates to the purchase of a building on Sloane Avenue, London, which was an old headquarters of the Harrods galleries. During the process, other financial crimes attributed to Becciu also came to light, such as suspicious donations to associations linked to his hometown.
In 2020, Pope Francis suspended Becciu from his rights associated with the cardinalate after the financial irregularities became known. Although he could technically participate in the election of a new pope, he was considered "non-elector". Although the exact nature of his resignation remains unclear, Becciu has decided to respect the Pope's decision and not participate in the conclave.
During the meetings prior to the conclave, it became evident that Becciu could not participate in the election of the new Pope, which generated speculation about the validity of the voting. Nevertheless, the Pope recognized his cardinal prerogatives as intact. Becciu declared his innocence in this situation and stated that his exclusion from the conclave was requested in writing by Pope Francis.
The conclave to elect the successor of Pope Francis is scheduled to begin on May 7 with 133 cardinals. Days before this election, Becciu renounced participation for the good of the Church and to contribute to the serenity of the process. During his lifetime, Pope Francis had removed privileges from him as a cardinal as a result of the financial investigations against him.
