International

Cardinal Becciu’s enigma: will he enter the conclave?

Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison for a case of financial irregularities, and to whom Pope Francis withdrew his privileges as a purp, is the great unknown of the next conclave that will choose the pontiff’s successor since it is unknown if he will be able to enter.

Unless otherwise decided, he should not participate in the conclave, and even in the Vatican statistics they count him as a non-elector cardinal, despite being 76 years old.

However, the Vatican press office assured that all cardinals, including the former powerful substitute for the Vatican State, can participate in congregations, preparatory meetings, but that another thing is entering the conclave.

In 2020, Francisco suspended it, stripping it of the “rights associated with the cardinal’s rate” after his involvement in financial irregularities became known.

But he did not suspend his duties and among those that correspond to a cardinal is the election of a new pope, analysts explain.

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“The pope recognized my cardinal prerogatives as intact since there was no explicit will to exclude me from the conclave or request for my explicit resignation in writing,” Becciu told the newspaper ‘Unione Sarda’ on Tuesday.

Surely the question of Becciu’s participation will be one of the arguments that will be discussed in the congregations of cardinals, the preparatory meetings of the conclave.

Becciu, the first cardinal tried by a Vatican criminal court, was also sentenced to “perpetual” disqualification from holding positions in the Holy See.

The scandal broke out when the purchase of a building in the heart of London, on Sloane Avenue, a former headquarters of the Harrods galleries in the exclusive Chelsea neighborhood, transcended.

In addition, during the process other financial crimes allegedly committed by Becciu arose, such as the donations of 125,000 euros that the cardinal entered into the account of an association, linked to the Sardinian Caritas of Ozieri, his hometown, and that at that time was presided over by one of his brothers.

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In the conclave, in which 135 cardinals will enter, if Becciu is not counted, there are also two peculiar cases.

Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso, had as his date of birth January 25, 1945 in the new papal yearbook of 2024, although the eightieth birthday is postponed to December 31, so he will be able to enter the Sistine Chapel, revealed the Hendro Munsterman of the media Nederlands Dagblad.

A few months ago, the newspaper of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Avvenire, also highlighted a precedent, that of the Kenyan John Njue, whose birth had been corrected from 1944 to 1946: he would also still be an elector in a possible conclave.

The Dutch journalist asked Ouédraogo: “In my town there were no hospitals or schools. I was born at home and they didn’t give me a date of birth,” said the cardinal.

“Some documents may have arrived,” they said from the Vatican press office.

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International

Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.

During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.

“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.

“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”

Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.

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On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.

International

Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition

he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.

Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.

The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”

International

Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may

The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.

The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”

The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”

Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.

The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.