An Italian cardinal sentenced to fraud renounces the conclave – Liberation

In the absence of a vow of poverty, he will have chosen modesty. Condemned for financial fraud to the Vatican, Italian cardinal Angelo Becciu announced this Tuesday, April 29, that he renounced participating in the conclave intended to designate the Pope’s successor died April 21and this for « Obey the will of Pope Francis ».

Formerly close to the latter, the 76-year-old Sardinian cardinal was sentenced at the end of 2023 at first instance at five and a half in prison At the end of a large two-year trial around financial operations in the Holy See.

Former number 2 of the secretary of state, the cornerstone of the central government of the Holy See, Mgr Becciu-which has always proclaimed its innocence-had retained its cardinal title but had been deprived in 2020 prerogatives accompanying him.

In recent days, his case had made the headlines of the Italian press, the Cardinal assuring that he could vote in the conclave, which will start on May 7 in the Sistine Chapelalthough the Argentine Pope had asked him to give it up. « Being at heart the good of the Church (…), I decided to obey, as I have always done, to Pope Francis’ will not to enter the conclave, while remaining convinced of my innocence », Mgr Becciu said in a statement sent to AFP by his lawyer.

His trial had concerned a big investment in a luxury building in London, which had tainted the image of the Church by highlighting the reckless use of the Denier de Saint-Pierre, the great annual collection of donations dedicated to the charitable actions of the Pope. In this questionable real estate transaction, Cardinal Becciu was suspected of having illegally supplied funds to a cooperative managed by one of his brothers in Sardinia, around 100,000 euros. According to the indictment, told Liberty in 2021the prelate had also asked the State Secretary to pay important sums of money to Cecilia Marogna, a young woman around her, for supposed intelligence and mediation activities in the release of a Colombian nun. According to elements of the survey, the latter has essentially spent some 600,000 euros in luxury shops in Milan.

Cardinal Becciu is the highest official of the Catholic Church to have appeared before the Criminal Tribunal of the Vatican, the civil justice of the Cité-etat. Having called on his conviction, he still participated in the daily close meetings of all the cardinals to prepare the conclave.