According to the wishes of the late Pope Francis, a cardinal has pulled out of the conclave to choose the next pope.
His funeral was held last week after the death of Francis Easter Monday, attended by President Donald Trump (and others).
Since then, the Catholic Church has entered sede vacante and the race to elect his successor begins with a papal conclave that is scheduled for May 7, 2025.
Most candidates for the upcoming papal conclave are a number of cardinals seen as likely candidates, and it is almost everywhere that being a cardinal is a prerequisite for becoming a pope.
But Cardinal Angelo Becciu was to pull out of the papal conclave.
As a former powerful official in Vatican, he was convicted of embezzlement by Vatican’s criminal court in 2023.
Then, 76-year old insisted he should be able to take part in the selection process even after his conviction. But, he reportedly got letters from the late Pope Francis instructing him not to participate.
As he’s younger than 80, Becciu would have otherwise been entitled to vote.
Despite being a longtime Vatican diplomat, Becciu says he has done nothing wrong in complying with Pope Francis’ wishes. He has insisted that he is entitled to vote in the conclave in recent days.
He withdrew officially on Tuesday after being presented with two letters, itself a blessing, written to him before his death by Pope Francis, which were not disclosed.
Having in his heart the good of the church which he has served and will serve with fidelity and love, and mindful of the communion and serenity of the conclave, Pope Francis I, to whom he has always obeyed, asked not to participate in the conclave, Pope Francis was convinced of his innocence, announced his statement through his lawyer Fabio Viglione.
In 2020, Pope Francis booted Cardinal Angelo Becciu out of his job after complaints arose that he used Vatican funds, including to pay out money to a charity associated with his brother in Sardinia.
Becciu was then at the time the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
The request of Francis was obliged to be, and Becciu resigned.
While we wait to see if someone will be named the next pope, there’s almost as much drama in a thriller that was released only six months ago about what goes on behind the scenes in the highly secretive process that’s been going on for many centuries in the Catholic faith.
Many have quipped that Conclave, with Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow in its cast, does a good job looking into the mechanics of choosing a new pope, but not so much at how accurate it is. More about the film can be found here.