Dis.raced cardinal pulls

Following Pope Francis’s death on Easter Monday at age 88, preparations are underway for the papal conclave to elect his successor on May 7, 2025. During this period known as sede vacante, Cardinal Angelo Becciu has withdrawn from participating in the conclave. Although under 80 and technically eligible, Becciu—convicted of embezzlement in 2023—stepped down after receiving two private letters from Pope Francis, reportedly advising him not to take part. Becciu, a former top Vatican official, maintains his innocence but stated that he is obeying the late Pope’s wishes out of respect for the Church and to preserve the peace of the conclave.

Becciu was previously asked by Pope Francis in 2020 to resign from his role as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints amid allegations of financial misconduct, including misuse of Vatican funds tied to a charity linked to his brother. He complied at the time. Meanwhile, interest in the secretive papal election process has been heightened by the recent release of the thriller Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci. While dramatic, the film’s accuracy in portraying the centuries-old tradition remains a topic of debate.