Did Bergoglio Rehabilitate Real-Estate Scam Cardinal Becciu? — Becciu Thinks So!

Pope Francis with Cardinal Angelo Becciu: in the papal favor.

 (Rome) The rehabilitation of Cardinal Angelo Becciu continues.  Or not?  Italian media are currently competing: while some report the reinstatement of the Sardinian wearer of the purple in his rights as a cardinal, others deny the rehabilitation of the former head of the dicastery.  But wasn't everything originally quite different anyway?

Vatican diplomat Angelo Becciu rose to the top ranks of the Roman Curia after serving as apostolic nuncio in Africa and Cuba.  He was Deputy Secretary of State from 2011 to 2018 and Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints from 2018 to 2020.  At the same time, Pope Francis created him a cardinal.

Then suddenly it was said that the cardinal was no longer allowed to leave the Papal States, which suggested criminal investigations against him.  But the Vatican did not confirm.  In early autumn 2020, the bomb finally burst.  It became known that Becciu was being investigated because of speculation about luxury real estate in London, which had cost the Vatican a sum in the hundreds of millions.  As a substitute, he managed various funds, including the Peterspence.  These are donations from the faithful for the support of the Pope and the Curia and the charitable works of the Pope.  The announcement of the investigation led to a loss of confidence and a sharp drop in the Peterspence.

Cardinal Becciu denied all allegations, but resigned from all offices on September 24, 2020, declaring his renunciation of all cardinal rights and privileges but retaining the cardinal dignity.  At that time, Katholisches.info pointed out that such a construction does not legally exist.  Either someone resigns the cardinalship or is dismissed by the pope or continues to be a cardinal with all rights and duties.  No one could then prevent Becciu from attending a conclave - or a consistory.  Such a meeting was convened by Francis for the coming Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.

The result was a confusion that is not new to the current pontificate.  Wikipedia reported Beccius' removal from the list of cardinals, as did Catholic Hierarchy.  The online encyclopedia, citing Vatican media, still claims a "resignation" from "the rights associated with the cardinalate," which doesn't even exist.  At best, Becciu could, if he took the initiative, decide for himself and voluntarily on a case-by-case basis whether to attend a cardinal's assembly or stay at home, whether to use cardinal privileges or not.  No one but the Pope can remove him from the list of papal electors.

The strange construction quickly led to speculation as to whether Becciu really fell out of favor with the pope, his patron, as the Bergoglian media had emphatically claimed, in order to reflect the damage to the image of the pope and  to keep the Church  out of the spotlight.  The speculation received new fuel when Francis visited Becciu on Maundy Thursday 2021.

The fact is that the main proceedings against Becciu before the Vatican Court opened on July 27, 2021 and have been pending there ever since.  The judges have to clarify the allegations of embezzlement and abuse of office.  It is also about clarifying where and how much money has flowed to take advantage.  In addition to Cardinal Becciu, a number of other people have been charged.

On July 27, 2021, the trial against Cardinal Becciu et al.  opened.

The Pope's phone call

The Sardinian daily L'Unione Sarda reported yesterday that Pope Francis called Cardinal Becciu and asked him: "Come to the consistory".  From this the newspaper concluded that the Sardinian cardinal would be reinstated in his functions.  The source?  Cardinal Becciu himself.

The purple wearer announced the Pope's phone call on Sunday at a private Mass in Golfo Aranci, Sardinia, where he is currently spending a few days' vacation.  It is the Pope's wish that Becciu "be reintegrated into his role as cardinal" with the extraordinary consistory convened for Saturday, according to L'Unione Sarda, who quoted verbatim what the cardinal had said on Sunday:

“On Saturday, the Pope called me to say that I was reinstated as cardinal and to ask me to attend a meeting with all the cardinals that will be held in Rome in the next few days, which is why I cannot attend mass next Sunday as I am busy in Rome.”

If this account of the cardinal is correct, that which was circulated in autumn 2020 would not be correct.  Either Becciu "renounced" his privileges of his own free will, in which case no one needs to reinstate his rights, or he was "suspended" as a cardinal by Pope Francis.  A suspension from the cardinalate does not exist, but in the Church, in which the supreme legislator and judge are united in the person of the pope, the creation of ad hoc provisions would not be excluded.

In any case, Cardinal Becciu was deeply moved by the media:

 "I am very touched by this gesture by the Pope," reported the Italian press agency ANSA.  "I thank him from the bottom of my heart and confirm my full attachment to him."

But then something unusual happened: Vatican News denied the claim that Francis had rehabilitated Cardinal Becciu - citing anonymous Vatican sources.  One marvels.

The catch is to be found in the representation chosen by Becciu.  The cardinal adhered exactly to the official language rule, which has been in circulation since 2020.  And yet everything was wrong?

Vatican News countered that Becciu had “waived” the rights associated with the cardinal dignity of his own free will.  To put it plainly: no one took this away from him, which is why no one “reinstates” him.  Even more clearly: Francis does not want to be associated – once again – with anything, neither with having demanded the “renunciation” from Becciu in September 2020, nor with now “restoring” him to his rights.

There is no doubt that Cardinal Becciu was indeed called by Francis last Saturday and asked to attend the upcoming Consistory.  That's one thing.  It's Another thing entirely to be publicly associated with it.  It's a matter of image.  Vatican News therefore writes rather awkwardly:

 “The sources of the Holy See recall that the rights of the Cardinalate do not relate to participation in the life of the Church;  Christians are called to participate according to their status: in the case of cardinals, this may involve an invitation, sometimes in person, to attend some meetings reserved for them.

 In understandable language: "If the Pope is already inviting you, why don't you shut up and just come?"

 Text: Giuseppe Nardi

 Image: VaticanMedia (Screenshots)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG