Giovanni Angelo Becciu

Giovanni Angelo Becciu (born 2 June 1948) is an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints from 2018 to 2020.

After submitting his resignation on 24 September 2020, having lost the trust of Pope Francis due to the existence of corruption allegations against him, and after the acceptance of this resignation by the Pope, he retains the dignity of cardinal of the Catholic Church, but loses all the rights and prerogatives inherent to the title; among them, the status of elector that, by age, corresponded to him.

 Early life and education 
Becciu was born in Pattada, Italy. He was ordained a priest on 27 August 1972.

 Ecclesiastical career 
Becciu served in various roles within the Vatican. He was appointed Substitute for General Affairs in the Secretariat of State in 2011. In 2018, Pope Francis appointed him as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He was made a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

 Scandals and controversies 
In September 2020, Becciu resigned from his position and gave up his rights as a cardinal. He was involved in several financial scandals, including using Church money for personal projects and investments.

In 2021, the Vatican charged Becciu and nine other people with misusing Church funds. They were accused of using money from donations and investments to buy a property in London and fund films. In December 2023, Becciu was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for his role in managing Church funds and the sale of the London property.

 References 

 Other websites 
 Profile at Catholic-Hierarchy
 Roman Catholic Church website

Category:Living people
Category:1948 births
Category:Italian cardinals
Category:People from Sardinia