According to Italian media, the former deputy secretary of state of Santa Se decided to withdraw his name as cardinal elector, despite insisting last week that he should vote. He claimed he had “no formal impediments” to attend the conclave.
Today (28), the word in the general congregation was given to the cardinals specialists in canonical law and the father Giuseppe Sciacca, expert canonist, who, at the last conclave, was called to the Sistine Chapel by the camerlengo to speak about the rules for voting for cardinals.
Shortly before today’s morning meeting, Cardinal Becciu met first with the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and then with the former Secretary of State of the Santa Se, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
The Italian publication Open said that โas soon as the Congregation began its work, it became immediately clear that there was no need for the cardinals to discuss and get to a vote, because Becciu himself did the talking.โ
The Open also said the cardinal first “defended himself long” against charges for which a Vatican court condemned him.
“But then he announced with great sadness, and with a voice overwhelmed with emotion, that he had recognized ‘the will of Pope Francis’ and therefore decided to retire ‘for the sake of the Church’, the report says.
In 2020, Cardinal Becciu relinquished his cardinal privileges following financial crimes charges. In December 2023 the cardinal was convicted of peculiarity, qualified fraud and abuse of power, permanently barred from holding public office. The cardinal has always claimed innocence and is currently seeking conviction.
The news was made public after a report by the Spanish magazine Vida Nueva that said that the Sacred College was prepared to “put on a vote whether Becciu should or not participate in the Conclave”, but only after all, or most, of the cardinal electors arrived in Rome.
Source: Bishop Shanahan Bulletins
