VATICAN CITY. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the embattled Italian prelate at the center of the Vatican’s landmark corruption trial, has formally announced his withdrawal from the upcoming conclave to elect the next pope, citing his desire to serve “the good of the church.”
The 76-year-old cardinal issued the statement through his lawyers on Tuesday, just days ahead of the conclave set to begin on May 7 following the death of Pope Francis. Becciu’s eligibility had been a source of intense scrutiny and debate within the Roman Catholic hierarchy, casting a shadow over the papal succession process.
“Having at heart the good of the church, which I have served and will continue to serve with fidelity and love, as well as to contribute to the communion and serenity of the conclave, I have decided to obey as I have always done the will of Pope Francis not to enter the conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence,” Becciu declared.
Becciu, once a powerful Vatican official and a potential papal contender, was stripped of his rights as a cardinal in 2020 after Pope Francis forced his resignation over allegations of financial misconduct. Although he has consistently denied any wrongdoing, Becciu was convicted in December 2023 by a Vatican court on charges related to financial crimes and sentenced to five and a half years in prison. His appeal is set to begin in September.
Despite his fall from grace, Becciu had been attending pre-conclave meetings, including one on Monday, and had recently asserted his right to vote in the election, stating his intent to enter the Sistine Chapel with the other electors.
His sudden reversal appears to have been triggered by two letters signed by Pope Francis before his death, which, according to Domani, were presented to Becciu during initial pre-conclave discussions. These letters reportedly reiterated the late pontiff’s wish that Becciu not take part in the conclave.
While Becciu remains under the age of 80, the cutoff for conclave participation, and thus technically eligible to vote, Vatican statistics have long classified him as a “non-elector.” Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni confirmed Tuesday that two other cardinals have also withdrawn from the conclave due to health reasons, leaving 133 electors.
The Vatican’s governing document for papal elections, Universi Dominici Gregis, states that cardinals under 80 may vote unless they have been “canonically deposed or who with the consent of the Roman Pontiff have renounced the cardinalate.” It also emphasizes that the College of Cardinals has no authority to reinstate such individuals after a pope’s death.
The nature of Becciu’s original resignation remains murky. The Vatican’s 2020 press release simply noted that Pope Francis had accepted Becciu’s resignation as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints “and his rights connected to the cardinalate.” No formal canonical sanction has been publicized.
Becciu, who rose through the ranks during the papacy of Benedict XVI and was seen as aligned with the conservative old guard, had once been a close adviser to Francis. Despite his subsequent fall, Francis maintained contact with him and permitted his participation in Vatican life, even while reforming church laws that enabled prosecutors to bring the cardinal to trial.
The fairness of Becciu’s trial has come under increasing scrutiny. Defense attorneys argued that the prosecution benefited from excessive papal interference, including four secret decrees by Francis that allowed investigators to wiretap and detain suspects without judicial oversight. The trial’s main witness against Becciu was reportedly manipulated by outside parties, with new evidence suggesting possible collusion between prosecutors and Vatican gendarmes.
Despite the tribunal’s rejection of these concerns, ongoing revelations have fueled claims of due process violations in what has been described as the Vatican’s “trial of the century.”
Becciu’s withdrawal from the conclave, while symbolically significant, does not alter the official count of electors, nor does it erase the questions his presence had raised. His statement, referencing the will of Pope Francis, brings a dramatic chapter to a close, at least for now.
The conclave will proceed with 133 cardinal-electors, tasked with choosing the next leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, one whose tenure may be shaped by both the legacy of Francis and the ongoing calls for greater transparency within the Church.
Edgaroo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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