On Saturday in the Vatican will take place The funeral of Pope Francis. While the last preparations for this sublime event are underway, they also last rozmowy regarding the future conclave. Already on Tuesday, the day after the pope's death, the first congregation was convened for this purpose.
Controversy around the conclave. “Material for a thriller”
The fact that he participates in the congregations is controversial Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who also demands the right to participate in the conclave, although he was convicted by the Vatican court For more than five years imprisonment, an indefinite ban on performing public functions and 8000 euros a fine.
– This is a story out of this land. Ready material for Hollywood thriller. Angelo Becciu is an Italian cardinal who had very important functions in the Vatican for many years. During the pontificate of Pope Francis, he was a substitute, i.e. the third person in the Vatican state. The first is the Pope, the second – Secretary of State – He says in the podcast of the “Studio Vatican” priest prof. Andrzej Kobyliński, a philosopher and ethicist from UKSW in Warsaw.
The scandals described by the media came from the period when Cardinal Becciu He served as a substitute.
– At that time, he was accused of other Vatican officials of financial embezzlement, abuse of power, and misconception when it comes to property management. These were very large sums that reached several hundred million dollars. And it was about missed investments of Vatican money in real estate in London – explains Fr. prof. Kobyliński.
He adds that the most interesting is the fact that today the cardinal is an innocent person.
– Although he was convicted in the first instance in 2023, he had the right to appeal and he took advantage of him. Therefore, he is now waiting for the appeal hearing. And a lot of water in Tibra will pass Before we know the final judgment in the case of Cardinal Angela Becciu – believes the guest of “Studia Vatican”.
Scandal with the participation of Cardinal Becciu. It was Francis who forbade him the conclave
When a scandal broke out around Cardinal Becciu, Pope Francis did not wait for court judgments. In 2020, he called him in an audience, during which he released him from the prefect of the Congregation and deprived of “rights related to the dignity of the cardinal.” This meant that the Italian dignitary kept the cardinal title, but He lost all positions in the Roman Curia, as well as the right to participate in the conclave.
This decision of Pope Francis caused a sensation at the time. – Many asked themselves why Pope Francis punished Cardinal in such an arbitrarily way Becciu. Many environments stood up in his defense so as not to punish arbitrarily without a trial – reminds Fr. prof. Andrzej Kobyliński.
However, as he says – Pope Francis had such a right, because the Vatican state is an absolute monarchy. – And the absolute monarch can do anything. In addition, the Pope had a mentality of the Jesuits who have their general. There is almost military obedience. In the management of the Church by Pope Francis, we had a combination of two such strong elements, on the one hand the competence of the absolute monarch, and on the other hand the competence of the general of the Jesuit order – says the interlocutor “Studies in the Vatican”.
Cardinal Becciu claims that the Pope has forgiven him. “It's the Gordian knot”
Now kard. Angel buckoowho participates in the congregations, or “pre -election” meetings of cardinals during the period of vacancies in the Holy See, He announced that he also wanted to take part in the conclave. The priest argues that by inviting him to the last consistory, the Pope recognized his “cardinal prerogative”. He also maintains that the Pope has forgiven him.
Will the compromised hierarch really take part in conclave? – The question is, who is to decide about it if the Pope is dead? Nobody has this competence. It’s a legal gap and swoists slipped gorgeous – Puents Fr. prof. Andrzej Kobyliński.
The guest of “Studia Vatican” also talks about how much the Pope managed to reform the church, which could become with a white chest, full of documents regarding scandals in the church and what are the forecasts regarding the future conclave.