Convicted Cardinal Withdraws From Conclave After Late Pope Francis Requested His Exclusion

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 76, who was previously convicted of embezzlement and fraud, has stepped aside from the upcoming conclave to elect the next pope, following a reported request from the late Pope Francis.

Despite earlier asserting his right to vote, Becciu formally withdrew from the process on Tuesday, April 29, after allegedly being presented with a personal appeal from Francis urging him not to participate.

He said: ‘I have decided to obey the will of Pope Francis, as I have always done, and not enter the conclave despite remaining convinced of my innocence.’

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 76, has withdrawn from the conclave to elect a new pope, following a reported personal request from the late Pope Francis, despite previously insisting on his right to vote.

Becciu was sentenced to five and a half years in prison by the Vatican’s criminal court in December 2023 for his involvement in a high-profile scandal linked to Vatican intelligence operations and controversial property investments in London’s Chelsea district. He maintains his innocence and is currently free pending appeal.

Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88, had dismissed Becciu from his senior Vatican post in 2020, years before the trial began.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 76, has officially withdrawn from the conclave to elect the next pope, reportedly after being shown a letter from the late Pope Francis urging him not to participate. His departure follows his 2023 conviction for embezzlement and fraud related to a Vatican financial scandal, though he maintains his innocence and is appealing the ruling.

Despite being dismissed from his senior post in 2020, Pope Francis had allowed Becciu to retain his cardinal title and Vatican apartment, creating uncertainty over his eligibility to vote in the conclave. His withdrawal may impact the prospects of Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, considered a top contender to succeed Francis.

The situation bears a striking resemblance to the plot of the film Conclave, in which a cardinal, played by Ralph Fiennes, searches for a letter left by a deceased pope requesting a resignation.

The Vatican confirmed that two other cardinals will not participate in the conclave due to health issues, reducing the number of eligible electors from 135 to 133—the highest number in history.

The upcoming vote will determine whether the Catholic Church continues the reformist path charted by Francis or returns to a more traditional doctrine.

‘I believe that the path of dialogue, in which the Church has long been engaged and which Pope Francis has intensified on all fronts, should be pursued without fear,’ said Father Donato Ogliari in a sermon on Tuesday to a group of cardinals.

The previous two papal conclaves, held in 2005 and 2013, concluded within two days. However, there are indications that this year’s process could take longer, as many of the cardinals appointed by Pope Francis—some from countries that had never previously been represented—are unfamiliar with one another.

According to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, they’ve even been wearing name tags to facilitate introductions.

Still, Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez of El Salvador said on Tuesday he believes the conclave could be completed quickly.

‘I have the impression that the conclave will be short, two or three days, this is the feeling we have inside the room,’ he told reporters.