VATICAN CITY — Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu has renounced his participation in the upcoming Conclave. 

According to Italian media reports, the former deputy Secretary of State has decided to withdraw his name as a cardinal elector despite having insisted last week that he should have a vote. He had maintained he had “no formal impediment” to taking part in the conclave. 

On Monday, the floor of the General Congregation was given to cardinals who are experts in canon law, and Msgr. Giuseppe Sciacca, an expert canonist whom, during the last Conclave, had been called into the Sistine Chapel by the camerlengo to explain voting rules to the cardinals. 

Shortly before this morning’s meeting, Cardinal Becciu met first with the dean of the college, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and then with former Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. 

The Italian publication Open reported that “once the Congregation began its work, it was immediately clear that there was no need for the cardinals to argue and reach a vote, because it was Becciu himself who spoke.” 

Open went on to say that the cardinal first “defended himself at length” against the accusations for which the Vatican tribunal convicted him. “But then he announced with great sadness, and a voice broken by emotion, that he had acknowledged ‘the will of Pope Francis’ and therefore he decided to withdraw ‘for the good of the Church,’” the report said. 

In 2020 Cardinal Becciu resigned his cardinal privileges after accusations of financial crimes. In December 2023, he was convicted of embezzlement, aggravated fraud, and abuse of office and perpetually disqualified from holding public office. The cardinal has always maintained his innocence and is currently appealing against the conviction.

The news followed a report in the Spanish magazine Vida Nueva that had reported that the Sacred College was prepared to “put to a vote whether or not Becciu should participate in the Conclave,” but only once all, or most, of the cardinal electors had arrived in Rome.

Corriere della Sera confirmed that the “clarifying meeting” took place at the Holy See today during the General Congregation in the Paul VI Hall. The meeting served to convince Cardinal Becciu “not to further fuel controversy,” the newspaper reported.

The dispute over his eligibility to vote threatened to undermine the integrity and legitimacy of the conclave.

Various cardinals, including former Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said Cardinal Becciu was ineligible to vote due to him having resigned his cardinalatial privileges in 2020 after he was accused of financial crimes. Meanwhile, Italian media have reported on the alleged and unconfirmed existence of a pair of letters from Pope Francis, the first after his conviction in 2023 and a second last month, confirming the cardinal’s ineligibility to vote in the papal election. 

At a press conference on Monday, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni had said the issue had not been deliberated in the morning session of the General Congregation and so no decision had been taken on the matter. He was also unable to say how the issue would be decided. 

As of early Monday evening in Rome, Cardinal Becciu had not issued a statement confirming his decision not to participate. The Vatican is not expected to issue any statement, at least not until the cardinal does, because for them the issue never existed, as the Pope's letters had excluded him a priori.

The cardinal was merely invited to participate in the General Congregations, as is the right of all cardinals, even the most senior ones. “The cardinal's resignation makes no sense to the Vatican, and it has no obligation to announce the resignation of something that never belonged to or was due to the cardinal,” a source close to the Vatican told the Register. “It was a right claimed only by him, but which could not be taken into consideration.” 

The Register learned yesterday that cardinals had become frustrated by the issue and were hoping for it to be resolved speedily so they could discuss much more pressing matters related to the future of the Church. 

On Monday afternoon, word spread of an imminent press release from Cardinal Becciu that should be published by the evening. However, it is not clear if such a statement will appear: after leaving this morning’s meeting, the Sardinian cardinal “disconnected his phone and made himself unreachable,” Open reported.