On the case of Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, the Congregation of Cardinals "has taken note that he, having the good of the Church at heart, as well as to contribute to the communion and serenity of the Conclave, has communicated his decision not to participate in it."

In this regard, in a statement, the Congregation of Cardinals " expresses appreciation for the gesture he made and hopes that the competent justice bodies can definitively ascertain the facts ."

Yesterday, Cardinal Pattada made official his renunciation of the Conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor, which will begin on May 7: "Having at heart the good of the Church, which I have served and will continue to serve with fidelity and love, as well as to contribute to the communion and serenity of the Conclave, I have decided to obey, as I have always done, the will of Pope Francis not to enter the Conclave, while remaining convinced of my innocence ."

After the investigation into the sale of a building in London, the Pope asked Becciu to renounce the rights associated with the cardinalate, while leaving him the title . Becciu continued, at the invitation of the Pontiff, to participate in public events in the Vatican and was also present at the funeral last Saturday.

In recent days, the cardinal has maintained that he has full right to participate in the Conclave, as there was "no explicit will" to exclude him. But then two letters written by Francis emerged that would have sanctioned his exclusion from the Conclave.

(Online Union)

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