Cardinal Becciu drops campaign for vote in conclave (Il Tiempo (Italian))

Cardinal Angelo Becciu has withdrawn his bid to participate in next week’s papal conclave, eliminating a potential source of tension among the cardinals.

The Italian prelate, who last year was convicted by a Vatican tribunal on charges of financial misconduct, had been stripped of his privileges as a cardinal in September 2020. However he remained a member of the College of Cardinals, and it remained unclear whether the disciplinary measures imposed by Pope Francis would make him ineligible to vote in a papal election. Cardinal Becciu had argued forcefully that he was an eligible elector. The Vatican’s official list of electors did not include him, however.

At their general conference on April 28, the College of Cardinals discussed his status and agreed to vote on his eligibility. But before the vote could be taken, Cardinal Becciu—perhaps anticipating the likely result of a ballot—announced that he would withdraw, for the sake of church unity.