Cardinal Angelo Becciu Vatican Conclave: Why He Bowed Out

In April 2025, Cardinal Angelo Becciu—a man under house arrest for a 5.5-year prison sentence—publicly withdrew from the conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor, turning the Vatican’s most secretive ritual into a stage for its most public scandal yet. The convicted cardinal, whose 2023 embezzlement and fraud conviction shook the foundations of church governance, announced he would obey the dead pope’s will rather than contest his exclusion.

Conviction Year: 2023 · Prison Sentence: 5.5 years · Rights Resignation: 2020 · Withdrawal Announcement: April 29, 2025 · Current Status: House arrest

Why did Cardinal Becciu bow out of the conclave?

On April 29, 2025, Cardinal Angelo Becciu publicly confirmed he would not participate in the conclave to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, 2025. His statement invoked obedience to the pope’s will, even in death (The Tablet).

Pope Francis’s directive

Pope Francis had sent at least two personal letters instructing Becciu not to enter the conclave. Cardinal Pietro Parolin presented one of these letters to the General Congregation, the pre-conclave meeting of cardinals, on April 28, 2025 (National Catholic Register). Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni had declined to announce any official decision on Becciu’s participation before the announcement.

Becciu’s public statement

“Having at heart the good of the church,” Becciu wrote, “I have decided to obey the will of Pope Francis not to enter the conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence.” (CBS News)

Legal restrictions

The conclave began the Wednesday following Becciu’s announcement. His exclusion was final and enforceable because he had already resigned the rights associated with the cardinalate in September 2020 (CBS News).

The implication: even in death, Francis’s authority over the conclave’s composition proved absolute, demonstrating that papal directives survive their author.

What are the accusations against Cardinal Becciu?

Cardinal Angelo Becciu faced charges of embezzlement and fraud tied to a controversial London property investment that cost the Vatican an estimated €350 million (Catholic Review).

Embezzlement charges

The Vatican’s investment in a luxury London property between 2014 and 2018 resulted in losses exceeding $200 million. Becciu, then deputy Vatican secretary of state, was directly involved in negotiations during this period (Inside the Vatican). A Vatican court later stated the conviction rested on “full and irrefutable evidence” that Becciu invested church money with “total disregard” for Vatican policies.

Fraud convictions

The trial, dubbed the “Trial of the Century,” ran for two and a half years across 86 sessions, ultimately convicting 10 defendants. Becciu received the most severe sentence among them (Catholic Review).

Related entities

Becciu was linked to associates including Cecilia Marogna, a self-described “countess” who received Vatican funds and was also convicted in the case. Prosecutors uncovered over 3,200 pages of WhatsApp messages exchanged between Marogna and another defendant that were misrepresented as legal advice (Inside the Vatican).

The catch: a €350 million loss on Becciu’s watch makes him the Vatican’s costliest financial official in modern history.

What did Cardinal Becciu do?

Giovanni Angelo Becciu, made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2018, held significant Vatican administrative posts before his downfall. His career included serving as substitute for general affairs—essentially the number-three position at the Secretariat of State—during the critical years of the London property deal (Inside the Vatican).

Key actions in scandal

Becciu reportedly directed funds through a complex web of intermediaries, including entities connected to the London deal. He allegedly pressured Vatican officials to approve investments despite internal warnings about the transaction’s risks.

Trial outcome

On December 16, 2023, the Vatican criminal court found Becciu guilty of embezzlement and fraud. He was sentenced to five years and six months in prison, fined €8,000, and permanently disqualified from public office—a first in modern Vatican judicial history.

Sentence details

At the time of his April 2025 withdrawal announcement, Becciu was 76 years old and under house arrest. The sentence remains in effect despite his ongoing appeal and the subsequent partial mistrial.

What this means: for the first time, a Vatican cardinal faces actual prison time for financial misconduct, signaling that senior clergy no longer operate with de facto immunity.

Why was Cardinal Becciu barred from the conclave?

The question of whether Becciu could participate in the conclave became one of the most debated procedural issues in the pre-conclave period. His legal status and previous resignation of rights created ambiguity that Vatican officials ultimately resolved in favor of exclusion.

2020 resignation of rights

Becciu resigned as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on September 24, 2020, renouncing the rights associated with being a cardinal elector. He initially maintained that this resignation covered only active voting rights, not his status after the 2023 conviction (National Catholic Register).

Conviction impact

The 2023 conviction triggered canonical provisions that automatically excluded those convicted of serious crimes from participating in papal elections. Pope Francis, invoking both his authority as pope and specific church law, made clear that Becciu should not enter the conclave.

Vatican rules

Canon law and Vatican regulations state that those in a state of serious criminal conviction cannot validly participate in conclave votes. The pope’s written directives, delivered through Cardinal Parolin, effectively foreclosed any legal argument Becciu might have made for participation.

The pattern: Becciu’s exclusion was not a papal preference but a legal obligation, meaning future cases of convicted cardinals would face the same barrier automatically.

What is the context of Becciu’s Vatican role?

To understand why Becciu’s case resonates so deeply in the Vatican, one must appreciate his former position. As substitute for general affairs—a role comparable to a chief of staff—he had access to the Vatican’s financial operations at the highest level.

Career background

Becciu served in the Secretariat of State for years, eventually becoming the number-three official. He was elevated to cardinal in 2018, an appointment that later became controversial given the financial dealings under investigation.

IOR connections

The Vatican financial scandal involved multiple institutions, including the Institute for Religious Works (IOR)—the so-called Vatican bank—though the primary transactions occurred through the Secretariat of State and related entities.

Key associates

Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, initially a Vatican administrator, became a key prosecution witness in August 2020 after internal investigators discovered irregularities he had flagged years earlier. His testimony provided crucial evidence about the London deal’s structure and Becciu’s involvement.

The implication: Perlasca’s willingness to testify suggests internal Vatican reform advocates successfully weaponized insider knowledge against senior clergy—a shift that may continue reshaping church governance.

Timeline

Six years of escalating legal proceedings and institutional deliberation led to Becciu’s conclave exclusion.

Confirmed facts and open questions

The legal proceedings have produced both confirmed outcomes and areas of genuine uncertainty.

What the experts and officials say

“Having at heart the good of the church and the cardinals’ brotherly unity, I have decided to obey the will of Pope Francis not to enter the conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence.”

— Cardinal Angelo Becciu, public statement, April 29, 2025 (CBS News)

“The cardinal’s conviction was based on ‘full and irrefutable evidence’ that he was investing Vatican money with ‘total disregard’ for Vatican policies.”

— Vatican court findings, as reported by Inside the Vatican

“Becciu announced that he had acknowledged ‘the will of Pope Francis’ and therefore he decided to withdraw for the good of the Church.”

— National Catholic Register report

The implications of Becciu’s case extend beyond one cardinal’s exclusion. The Vatican’s willingness to prosecute its own hierarchy suggests a institutional shift toward transparency and accountability. The partial mistrial declared in September 2025, followed by the March 2026 order for retrial aspects, indicates the legal process remains contested—yet Becciu’s core exclusion from the conclave has not been challenged.

For those watching the Vatican’s internal reforms, the Becciu case represents both progress and limits. The church proved willing to convict a cardinal—a first—but the ongoing appeals and procedural disputes reveal institutional resistance to complete transparency. The next appeal hearing, scheduled for June 22, 2026, will determine whether the partial mistrial ultimately affects Becciu’s conviction.

Related reading: Pope Francis · Oh Holy Night lyrics

Becciu’s fraud conviction prompted his exit amid the conclave election timeline that will shape the Church’s future under new leadership.

Frequently asked questions