Angelo Becciu, an Italian cardinal convicted of embezzlement and stripped of his privileges by Pope Francis, has confirmed he will not take part in the conclave to elect a new Catholic leader.
In a statement from his lawyer, Cardinal Becciu said he would abide by the late pontiff's will, ending days of speculation on whether he would join other cardinal electors in the Sistine Chapel on 7 May.
"I have decided to obey, as I have always done, the will of Pope Francis not to enter into conclave," Cardinal Becciu said, while continuing to protest his innocence.
The 76-year-old said he decided to take a step back "having at heart the good of the Church" and "to contribute to the communion and serenity of the Conclave".
The cardinal, a former adviser to Francis who was once considered a papal contender himself, was removed from office and stripped of his cardinal "rights and privileges" in September 2020.
He subsequently went on trial along with nine others in a case focused on a disastrous investment by the Vatican in a luxury building in London.
In 2023, he was sentenced to five years and six months in jail for financial crimes, although he is appealing the conviction.
Cardinal Becciu, once one of the most powerful figures in the Vatican, had reportedly been pushing to take part in the conclave, despite not being on the official list of electors.
Yesterday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who as secretary of state was Francis's number two, presented him with two documents signed by the Argentine pontiff which said he could not, according to Italian media.
The letters dated from 2023 and last month, according to the Domani newspaper.
Cardinal Becciu was the most senior clergyman in the Catholic Church to face a Vatican criminal court.
His very rare punishment came as Francis enacted a series of reforms aimed at cleaning up the Vatican's notoriously murky finances.
Cardinal was number two in the Secretariat of State from 2011 to 2018, during most of which time Cardinal Parolin was his boss.
Cardinal Parolin is considered by many to be a frontrunner for the next pope, due to his vast diplomatic experience.
But Vatican expert John L Allen Jr sounded a note of caution last week, saying questions over his role in the London real estate scandal could play against him.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has said that two ardinals will miss next week's conclave because of health issues, bringing the number of electors expected to 133.
The Vatican did not name them but a source at the archdiocese of Valencia confirmed to AFP that its archbishop emeritus, Cardinal Antonio Canizares, would not be attending the conclave due to health reasons.
A total of 135 cardinals are eligible to vote in the secret ceremony in the Sistine Chapel, which is expected to last for several days.
If all the others attend, there will be 133 cardinals present.
To succeed Pope Francis at least a two-thirds majority is required, a figure that now falls to 89.
