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4d ago

Convicted Cardinal Becciu Challenges Voting Ban in Upcoming Papal Conclave

Despite being listed as a 'non-elector' following his 2023 conviction, Becciu asserts his right to vote, leaving the Vatican to decide his eligibility.

Giovanni Angelo Becciu walks next to the coffin after paying his respects during a ceremony inside St Peter's Basilica following the procession of the late Pope's coffin from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican on April 23, 2025.
Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu (left) pictured in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, in June 2018.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu takes par in the procession of the Palm Sunday mass on April 2, 2023 at St. Peter's square in The Vatican.
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Overview

  • Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, convicted of embezzlement and fraud in 2023, claims he retains the right to vote in the upcoming papal conclave.
  • Becciu was stripped of his cardinal privileges by Pope Francis in 2020 but was not formally removed from the College of Cardinals.
  • The Vatican has yet to issue a formal written exclusion, leaving the decision to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re and Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
  • Becciu's appeal against his conviction is ongoing, adding legal and canonical ambiguity to his status within the Church.
  • The case highlights procedural uncertainties in Vatican electoral law and broader tensions over governance and accountability within the Holy See.