The first Vatican scandal after Pope Francis's death. The cardinal relegated suddenly and without any explanation by the pope says that he has the right to vote: “I have the right to participate in the conclave”

For seven years, Giovanni Angelo Becciu was very close to the Pope, as a number two in the State Secretariat. And Francis himself had promoted him to the rank of cardinal. In September 2020, however, – at the end of a conversation whose content was never revealed – Francis at “relegated”, writes the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

On Tuesday, Becciu returns to the attack: in an interview with the daily Uniona Sarda, the monsignor claims that “there is no formal or legal impediment to prevent my presence at Conclav among the voters of the new Sovereign Pontiff.” Becciu also says he left for Rome from Pattada, in Sardinia, where he was for the traditional Easter holiday.

Becciu – which was declared “deeply hit and shocked” by Francisc's death: nothing “can delete seven years of close collaboration, common elections at the highest levels of ecclesiastical life and a daily friend” – was still included by the Vatican Press Office among the “non -electoral” cardinals.

But he says that he was mistaken: “Reminding the last consistory (the one in which Arrigo Miglio, former Archbishop of Cagliari and who met Bergoglio in his historical visit from September 2013, became cardinal), the Pope recognized my prerogatives intact. written.

Almost five years ago said something else

Only this is contradicted by its own statements:

In fact, in an interview with the daily Corriere, asked how “he entered the Pope on September 24, 2020 as a cardinal and came out as a cardinal”, he replied: “To tell the truth, I did not leave as a cardinal, but with the suspension of the cardinal prerogatives”, thus recognizing that these prerogatives were taken.

Not only: an official note of September 24, 2020 informed that Francis “accepted the resignation of the prefect of congregation for the causes of the saints and from the rights related to cardinal, presented by his Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu”.

Therefore, if it is not decided otherwise, Becciu is not expected to participate in the conclave.