As late Pope Francis’ physique lies in state, drawing tens of 1000’s of devoted to the Vatican forward of Saturday’s funeral, the political wheels are in movement for the upcoming conclave that can select the following non secular chief of the Catholic Church – and there’s already drama happening.
A cardinal convicted of fraud and embezzlement is demanding to take part within the selecting of the following pontiff, despite the fact that he has been designated as a ‘non-elector’.
New York Post reported:
“Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, 76, was investigated for participating in an funding scheme involving a property in London, which wound up costing the church tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}.
Upon his conviction by a Vatican tribunal of judges, he was ordered to serve a five-and-a-half-year jail sentence, and personally ordered by the late Pope Francis to resign the ‘rights and privileges’ of his place in 2020, in keeping with CNN.”
Highly effective Becciu, the Holy See’s Secretariat of State has develop into the primary cardinal ever to be convicted by the Vatican’s personal prison court docket.
He’s additionally accused – with strong proof – of against the law that’s even worse than fraud.
“After his conviction, Becciu was additionally accused of utilizing Vatican funds to bribe witnesses within the sex-abuse trial of his rival, Cardinal George Pell, whose conviction was overturned in 2020 after spending 13 months in jail in Australia.”
Prosecutors accuse Becciu of wiring over $800,000 to tamper with the testimony in opposition to Pell.
“Though the Holy See’s press workplace now designates him as a ‘non-elector’, Becciu claimed ‘there was no specific will to exclude me from the conclave nor a request for my specific renunciation in writing’ in an interview with a Sardinian newspaper, the outlet writes.”
Francis’ funeral might be held on Saturday at 10am native time (4am ET) in St. Peter’s Sq., after which he might be interred on the basilica of St. Mary Main close to the Vatican.
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