Vatican cardinal in charge of saint making resigns amid financial scandal

The Vatican’s cardinal in charge of naming saints, Angelo Becciu, resigned Thursday amid a financial scandal allegedly tied to him.

Pope Francis accepted Becciu’s resignation late Thursday, though no details were provided about the reasoning behind his leave, The Associated Press reported.

Becciu is the former No. 2 in the Vatican’s secretariat of state and has reportedly been implicated in a financial scandal surrounding the Vatican’s involvement in a London real estate deal.

The deal resulted in the loss of millions of euros in fees paid by the Holy See to middlemen.

Several Vatican officials, as well as the middlemen, are under investigation by the Vatican prosecutor. However, Becciu is not.

Becciu has defended the efficacy of the initial investment and denied any wrongdoing.

It is unclear whether the scandal or separate reasoning prompted his resignation.

In the Vatican statement, the Holy See identified Becciu as “His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Becciu,” underscoring he remains a cardinal but without any rights.

The last time a cardinal’s rights were revoked was in July 2018, when American Theodore McCarrick renounced his rights and privileges amid a sexual abuse investigation.