Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, recently convicted of embezzlement related to a high-profile London property deal, has formally withdrawn from participating in the upcoming conclave to elect the next pope. Becciu, once a powerful Vatican official, was stripped of his cardinal rights by Pope Francis in 2020 following the financial scandal. His withdrawal follows reports that the late Pope Francis had signed requests barring him from voting in the conclave. The scandal has cast a shadow over the Vatican and the process of selecting the next pope, highlighting ongoing tensions and reform efforts within the Church. The conclave is already the subject of behind-the-scenes negotiations among cardinals in Rome.
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Forget the conclave – cardinals are already negotiating in Rome’s pizza parlours
In 2005, after the death of Pope John Paul II, a group of cardinals reportedly gathered in Al Passetto di Borgo, a restaurant near one of the Vatican’s principal gates, the Porta Sant’ Anna. Over wine and food, they agreed to lobby for the German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He was duly elected pope, taking the pontifical name Benedict XVI.
