Convicted Cardinal Becciu Excluded from Papal Conclave Voting

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, once a powerful figure in the Vatican and considered a possible papal contender, will not participate in the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope following his conviction for embezzlement and financial crimes. Although Becciu is under the age limit to vote and initially insisted he could participate, Vatican officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, presented him with documents signed by the late Pope Francis that explicitly barred him from voting. Becciu was stripped of his rights and privileges as a cardinal in 2020 amid allegations of financial misconduct, and was later sentenced to five and a half years in prison—a conviction he is currently appealing. His exclusion from the conclave underscores Pope Francis' broader efforts to reform Vatican finances and address corruption within the Church. Despite his conviction and removal from voting rights, Becciu remains a member of the College of Cardinals and has attended pre-conclave meetings. The Vatican officially lists him as a "non-elector," definitively barring him from participating in the secret ballot for the next pope.