Cardinals thank Cardinal Becciu for stepping back from conclave but note trial appeal pending

Cardinal Angelo Becciu arrives for the start of a public concistory in St. Peter's Basilica at The Vatican, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

VATICAN CITY — Catholic cardinals acknowledged Wednesday the definitive word is still out about the Vatican trial that convicted Cardinal Angelo Becciu of financial crimes, in the latest twist to a drama that has dominated conversations leading up to the May 7 conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor.

Becciu, 76, is the once-powerful Italian cardinal who formally withdrew his participation in the conclave on Tuesday, after days of uncertainty about his status.

The Vatican’s criminal court convicted Becciu in 2023 of embezzlement and other finance-related charges at the end of the so-called “trial of the century.”

But the convictions are being appealed and there are lingering questions about the integrity of the trial, which the College of Cardinals appeared to refer to in a statement Wednesday. As in Italy, convictions in the Vatican criminal court are not considered definitive until all appeals are exhausted.

In their statement Wednesday, the college thanked Becciu for withdrawing and for “contributing to the communion and serenity of the conclave.”

“The Congregation of Cardinals expresses its appreciation for the gesture he has made and hopes that the competent organs of justice will be able to definitively ascertain the facts,” said a statement from the cardinals who are meeting in pre-conclave discussions.

Francis in 2020 forced Becciu’s resignation as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and forced him to renounce the rights of the cardinalate after receiving allegations of financial misconduct against him. Those allegations were the basis of the subsequent trial.

Becciu denied wrongdoing but said at the time that he wouldn’t be able to vote in a future conclave. After Francis died April 21, Becciu had asserted his right to participate. But he backed down Tuesday after being presented with letters from Francis, penned before his death, saying he couldn’t take part.

Questions around the trial

During the Vatican trial, which focused on the Vatican’s bungled 350 million euro investment in a London property, defense lawyers discovered that Francis had secretly issued four decrees during the investigation to benefit prosecutors, allowing them to conduct intercepts and detain suspects without a judge’s warrant.

Defense lawyers argued such interference by an absolute monarch in a legal system where the pope exercises supreme legislative, executive and judicial power violated their clients’ fundamental rights and robbed them of a fair trial.

Also during the trial, it emerged that the prosecution’s prime witness against Becciu was coached, threatened and manipulated by outsiders to persuade him to turn on the cardinal.

The tribunal rejected the defense objections at the time and the trial went ahead. But in recent weeks even more evidence has emerged about the outside manipulation of the witness and apparent collusion with Vatican prosecutors and gendarmes to target Becciu. The Domani newspaper has published previously redacted WhatsApp chats and an audio suggesting that Vatican gendarmes and prosecutors were involved indirectly in coaching the witness, Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, to turn on Becciu.

Becciu has responded to the reports with outrage, saying they prove that his prosecution was manipulated from the start.

“From the very first moment I spoke of a machination against me: an investigation built on falsehoods, which five years ago unjustly devastated my life and exposed me to a pillory of worldwide proportions,” he said in a statement April 14, when the first chats were published.

The appeal is scheduled to begin in September.

Vatican finances a topic of discussion

The trial uncovered evidence of gross financial mismanagement that cost the Holy See tens of millions of euros at a time when the Vatican’s finances were precarious at best.

The Vatican hasn’t released a consolidated budget for over two years, but previous estimates have pointed to a structural deficit of more than 50 million euros and a pension fund that is so poorly resourced that Francis warned last year that it couldn’t guarantee its obligations in the medium term.

Cardinals attending pre-conclave meetings heard reports Wednesday about the dire financial picture, which the next pope will have to confront. They heard from top cardinals in charge of the Vatican’s economics council, the Vatican bank and Vatican investments committee. But two officials in charge of two other key financial organs of the Holy See were not there since they’re not cardinals.

They are Maximino Caballero Ledo, the prefect of the secretariat for the economy, and Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Vatican City State, which controls the main revenue source for the Holy See, the Vatican Museums.

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Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press