Becciu, 76, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in December 2023 after becoming the first cardinal ever tried and convicted by the Vatican’s own criminal court. His conviction stems from a financial scandal involving a failed London real estate deal that cost the Church tens of millions of dollars, as well as allegations of misuse of Church funds.

Though Pope Francis personally stripped Becciu of his “rights and privileges” as a cardinal in 2020, the cardinal has retained his title and continues to live in a Vatican apartment while his appeal is pending.

Under Church law, cardinals under 80 are eligible to vote in a papal conclave. Becciu remains within the age limit and argues that no formal decree has barred him from voting.

“There was no explicit will to exclude me from the conclave, nor a request for my renunciation in writing,” Becciu told Sardinian newspaper L’Unione Sarda on Tuesday, renewing debate over his eligibility just days before the College of Cardinals gathers.

The Holy See’s press office has listed him as a non-elector, but legal ambiguity is fueling tensions. The final decision on whether Becciu can cast a vote will fall to Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who will oversee the proceedings in the Sistine Chapel.

The Vatican now faces a delicate balancing act. Excluding Becciu without clear legal grounds could open the conclave to future challenges, while allowing a convicted fraudster to vote could cast a shadow over the legitimacy of the process.

Pope Francis, who died Easter Monday at age 88 after complications from pneumonia, made financial reform a cornerstone of his 12-year papacy. He personally amended Church law to ensure that even cardinals could face criminal prosecution by Vatican courts, a move that ultimately led to Becciu’s conviction.

The conclave is expected to begin within 20 days of his death, following centuries-old traditions, with 135 cardinals currently eligible to vote.

Among them is Rwanda’s Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, 67, who will make history as the first Rwandan to take part in a papal election.

To elect a new pope, a two-thirds majority is required. Until that consensus is reached, black smoke will rise from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. Only white smoke will announce to the world the election of Pope Francis’ successor.

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, 76, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in December 2023 after becoming the first cardinal ever tried and convicted by the Vatican’s own criminal court.