Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu insists on participating in the conclave – the secret election that will elect the next Pope -, no matter how much he lost the rights and privileges of the position.
He was one of the most powerful people of the Vatican, having held the position of “Sostitutus” (“substitute”) at the Holy Sé Secretariat of State, the equivalent of a papal chief.
In this function, he could see the Pope without the need for prior appointment and had enormous authority throughout the central government of the Church. He was even quoted for pontiff in the future.
Becciu was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for embezzlement and fraud in 2023 in a case involving the purchase of a luxury building in London that left a break of 139 million euros in the Vatican finances. He became the first cardinal to be sentenced by a Criminal Court of the Holy See.
The cardinal always claimed innocence and filed a feature that is still under analysis. He is allowed to continue living in an apartment in the Vatican while the process is underway.
Before the trial began, Pope Francis fired Giovanni Becciu from the position of Leader of the Vatican Department for the canonization of Santos. The Pontiff also ordered him to renounce Cardinal’s “rights and privileges”.
An article of September 24, 2020 of Vatican Newsthe Vatican Official News Agency states that the Pope “accepted the resignation to the position of mayor of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the rights related to the cardinalato presented by his eminence Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu.”
Although he lost rights and privileges as a cardinal, he was never technically removed from the Cardinal College. Thus, you are allowed to participate in pre-competition discussions.
Giovanni Becciu denies the charges and does not accept to be absent from the cardiah official list released by the Vatican.
Who is Giovanni Angelo Becciu
Giovanni Angelo Becciu was born in Pattada, Sassari, Italy, on June 2, 1948.
He was ordained priest on August 27, 1972. he graduated in canon law.
He entered the Vatican diplomatic service on May 1, 1984, having served in the Pontifical Representations in the Central African Republic, Sudan, New Zealand, Liberia, the United Kingdom, France and the United States.
On October 15, 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed him apostolic nuncio – a kind of Vatican ambassador – in Angola. At the same time, it was made archbishop.
Subsequently, he also held the position of Apostolic Nuncio in Sao Tome and Principe and Cuba.
Giovanni Becciu was ordained bishop on December 1, 2001.
On May 10, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him a substitute for the General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, one of the highest positions of the Vatican. On June 15 of the same year, he was appointed consultant to the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith.
On May 26, 2018, already in the pontificate of Francisco, he was appointed mayor of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, assuming on September 1st. He left office at the Secretariat of State on June 29.
Becciu was proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of June 28, 2018.
With the scandals involving the cardinal, the Pontiff accepted, on September 24, 2020, the resignation of the position of mayor of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the rights related to Cardinalat.
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This content was originally published in who is Giovanni Angelo Becciu, cardinal dismissed by Pope Francis on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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