VATICAN – Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, convicted of embezzlement and fraud, insists he still has a place in one of the Catholic Church’s most sacred rites: the conclave to elect the next pope.
Despite being stripped of his rights and privileges by Pope Francis in 2020 and recently labeled a “non-elector” by the Holy See, the 76-year-old Sardinian cardinal says he hasn’t been officially booted from the upcoming papal election—and he’s prepared to show up.
Cardinal Becciu’s fall from grace has been one of the most significant in modern Vatican history. Once dubbed the “papal chief of staff” during his time as sostituto (substitute) in the Secretariat of State, Becciu wielded enormous influence inside Vatican walls, with direct access to Pope Francis and oversight of some of the Church’s most sensitive affairs.
That influence began to unravel when the Vatican launched a sweeping investigation into a failed $200 million London real estate deal that cost the Church tens of millions.
In a landmark 2023 trial—the first of its kind—Becciu was convicted and sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison, though he’s currently appealing the verdict and still resides in Vatican housing.
Notably, Pope Francis changed Vatican law to ensure even cardinals like Becciu could be held accountable under Vatican civil courts, a move praised by reform advocates seeking more transparency in Church finances.
Still a Cardinal—At Least Technically
Here’s where it gets tricky. While Becciu was ordered to resign his rights and privileges as a cardinal, he was never formally removed from the College of Cardinals itself. That means he’s still technically a member, albeit one without the trappings of the role.
In an interview this week with a Sardinian newspaper, Becciu argued that he never received an official notice barring him from participating in the conclave, nor was he asked to sign any written renunciation. That ambiguity has left the door open—at least in his eyes.
And age isn’t an obstacle. At 76, Becciu is still under the cutoff age of 80, which is the upper limit for cardinal electors. There are currently 135 cardinals eligible to vote in the next conclave, and if Becciu has his way, he’ll be among them.
Who Gets the Final Say?
According to Vatican protocol, it will ultimately fall to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, to decide whether Becciu is allowed inside the Sistine Chapel when the time comes.
And that decision could set a precedent. The conclave isn’t just about casting votes; it’s a closed-door spiritual retreat designed to discern divine will.
The presence of a convicted cardinal—no matter how legalistic his technical status may be—could add unwelcome controversy to an already delicate process.
For now, Becciu remains in Vatican City, awaiting the outcome of his appeal while continuing to claim his innocence. Whether he’ll be casting a ballot for the next pope—or watching from a distance—remains one of the most intriguing unanswered questions in Vatican politics.
