The late Pope Francis’ funeral is still two days away, but already the infighting has begun over the process to choose his successor.
As thousands of supporters flock to the Vatican to pay their respects for the pontiff, who will be laid to rest Saturday at Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major, members of the College of Cardinals are assembling in Rome and preparing for the papal conclave, the millennia-old process of picking a new pope.
Of the 252 cardinals worldwide, 135 are under age 80 and therefore eligible to vote, according to the Vatican. Francis appointed 108 of the so-called “electors.”
One of the cardinals who would normally be allowed to vote is Giovanni Angelo Becciu, a Sardinian who previously served as a sostituto in the Holy See’s Secretariat of State. That made him the equivalent of a papal chief of staff and one of the most powerful people in the Vatican, according to CNN.
But in 2020 Becciu was accused of embezzlement and fraud and ordered by Pope Francis to resign the “rights and privileges” of a cardinal. He was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to five and a half years in jail, making him the first cardinal to be convicted by the Vatican’s criminal court, CNN reported.
He has appealed his conviction and is living in a Vatican apartment while the appeals process plays out. Given his loss of rights and privileges, the Vatican has listed Becciu as a “non-elector” when it comes to the conclave.
But the cardinal thinks he should be allowed to vote, he told a Sardinian newspaper. He was never technically removed from the College of Cardinals, and he’s allowed to participate in pre-conclave discussions, CNN reported.
His demand sets up a potential standoff that is likely to be resolved by Giovanni Battista Re, who is the dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was Francis’ secretary of state. The two men are overseeing the conclave proceedings.
As his health deteriorated, Francis, 88, unilaterally extended Battista Re’s tenure in early February, sidestepping a planned vote for the next dean, Politico reported.
Battista Re is too old to participate in the conclave, but as dean of the college he plays an important role in the pre-conclave discussions. Francis likely extended his tenure because he wanted an ally to help defend his legacy during the proceedings, sources told Politico.
Already that legacy is under attack, with conservative cardinals arguing that electing another liberal leader like Francis would divide the Catholic Church.
German Cardinal Gerhard Müller, 77, has already announced that he plans to promote a highly orthodox and dogmatic view of Catholicism during the “general congregations,” the pre-conclave meetings that will begin in earnest after Francis’ funeral on Saturday, The Times of London reported.
Müller opposed Francis’ “mercy before dogma” approach and clashed with the late pontiff over his decision to bless same-sex couples and allow communion for divorcees who remarry outside the church. He also opposed Francis’ concerns about migrants and the environment.
He said he hoped the other cardinals would ignore Francis’ mass media appeal and avoid the intrigue depicted in the Oscar-winning film Conclave.
“It’s not a power game played by stupid people looking to manipulate, like in this film, which has nothing to do with reality,” he told the Times.
Although Francis picked nearly 80 percent of the cardinals who will vote for his successor—meaning the liberals could have an edge—many of their political views remain somewhat of a mystery.
Once the conclave begins, the cardinals meet in the Sistine Chapel and then remain cut off from the outside world, participating in successive rounds of voting until two-thirds of the cardinals agree on a new pontiff.
“The run-up to the conclave is more important as that’s where lobbying goes on,” a source told Politico.
The conclave must begin between 16 and 21 days after the pope’s death, meaning it will start sometime between May 6 and 12. Since the 1900s, the conclaves have lasted fewer than four days, NPR reported.
Pope Francis was chosen after five rounds of voting lasting under two days.
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