The newspaper The nation From Argentina he published this Saturday, April 26 that Pope Francis wrote and signed two letters in which he expressed his willingness to exclude Cardinal Angelo Becciu from the conclave who will choose his successor.
Becciu, 77, was stripped of his prerogatives as purple by Francisco after his judicial problems; However, he has denied the accusations and has tried to clean his image through media campaigns.
In the list of the Vatican press room, His name would not be among the 135 voters who will have entrance to the Sistine Chapelbut he insists on not giving up his participation in the election of the next Pope, because there is no papal document in this regard.
The information that has transcended is that the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was the one who showed the letters signed by Francisco to Becciu.
With this revelation, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the Carden Alicio, 91 years old and responsible for organizing the conclave, would have stated to agree with the reintegration of Becciu. However, Camarlengo Kevin Farrell told him that Pope Francis didn’t want him at the meeting.
Pope Francis had written one of the letters in 2023 and the other last March, when he became seriously ill and was admitted to the hospital.
On the other hand, the newspaper Il fatto quoto He revealed on Thursday that the Italian cardinal Claudio Gugotti proposed to institute a commission of five cardinals, in which Becciu would participate, to make a decision on whether or not he is left out of the election of the new Pontiff.
Becciu has declared before the press that he must be in the conclave, because he assures that Francisco did not intend to exclude it; Moreover, he told him that he had found “a solution” to take it into account. He pointed out that he does not know if the Pope left instructions and that it will be the cardinals who must make the decision.
This Sunday, the cardinals will go to the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor to pray in the tomb of Pope Francis.
The participation or exclusion of Becciu raises a challenge for the Catholic Church and for the way the potatoes are chosen, from now on.