Vatican City (AP) – The Italian cardinal in the heart of the Vatican’s “Test” has announced on Tuesday that he is retiring from participating in the upcoming conclave to choose a new pope for the “good of the church.”
Cardinal Angelo Becky status dominates discussions in the days following the death of Pope Francis against the background of questions about whether he will participate in the Conclave to choose Francis’ heir.
After his collapse in 2020, Beci had said he would not participate in any future conclave. But in recent days, he claims that he has the right to enter the Sistine Chapel with other cardinals on May 7.
On Tuesday, the 76-year-old Italian issued a statement through his lawyers saying: “As I have the better church I have served and will continue to serve with faithfulness and love, as well as contribute to the communion and calmness of the concentration, because I have always done.
Beckiu was once an influential head of the Vatican Staff, who himself was a leading papal contender. But he fell from Grace in 2020, when Francis forced him to resign as his work as the head of the Vatican office to create Saint and his rights as a cardinal because of the allegations of financial violations.
Beckio denied the misconduct, but was subjected to a court trial in the Vatican Criminal Court and was convicted of accusations related to finance in December 2023. He appealed the sentence and the 5/2-year sentence and participated in the meetings prior to conclating, including on Monday.
Beckie has risen to the fame and power under the conservative Pope Benedict XVI and is very related to the conservative Vatican Old Gard. While he initially became a close advisor to Pope Francis, the subsequent decline of Becchi in the hands of Francis may suggest that he would vote for someone who wants to cancel some of Francis’ reforms.
At 76, Beckiu is below the age limit of 80 and technically meets the voting conditions, but the official Vatican statistics listed it as an “non -elector”.
The Vatican Document, regulating a conclave, known by its Latin name Universi Dominici Gregis, sets out the criteria for voters, clarifying that the cardinals under 80 have the right to choose the Pope, except those who were “canonically removed or who, with the consent of the Roman Panthy He adds that after Pope has died, “the Cardinals College cannot restore them or rehab them.”
There has never been clarity on what exactly gave up on Bekiu or how: the one -line statement issued by the Vatican press on September 24, 2020, it is said that Francis has accepted the resignation of Bechiu as a prefect of the causal causes for the saints “and his rights are related to the cardinal.” There is no indication that it is sanctioned canonical.
Italian Daily Domani announced last week that during the initial discussions before the Conclave Bechi were presented with two letters signed by Francis before he died, saying that he should not participate in the conclave. Bechi’s reference to Francis’ will in his statement on Tuesday suggests that the letters were the turning point that convinced him to withdraw from the vote.
After forcing Becchi’s resignation, Francis visited Beckio in cases and allowed him to participate in the life of the Vatican. But Francis also changed the Vatican law to allow the criminal tribunal of the city country to pursue him.
In the meantime, the questions continue to revolve for the integrity of the process condemned Becciu and eight others. During the proceedings, the court heard that Francis intervened several times on behalf of the prosecutors and that the prosecutor’s main witness against Beckie was trained and manipulated by outsiders.
The complaint is envisaged to begin in September.
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