Cardinal Becciu will not take part in conclave to select the next Pope
The Italian Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, convicted for his role in a financial scandal involving a property in Chelsea, has announced that he will not participate in the conclave to select the next Pope, which is due to begin on Wednesday 7 May. In a statement, he said: “Having at heart the good of the church, which I have served and will continue to serve with fidelity and love, as well as to contribute to the communion and serenity of the conclave, I have decided to obey as I have always done the will of Pope Francis not to enter the conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence.” The Times reports a story from the Italian newspaper Domani that Becciu was “shown letters signed by Francis asking him to stand down”. It also says that Becciu attended pre-conclave meetings of cardinals at the Vatican and said he was entitled to vote, before issuing his statement yesterday. Becciu was stripped of his rights as a cardinal in 2020, stood trial in a Vatican court lasting two years, was sentenced in 2023 to a five-and-a-half year sentence for his role in the scandal, but plans to appeal.
Vaccination warning to Umrah and Hajj pilgrims
The UK Health Security Agency is urging people travelling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages to ensure they are vaccinated against meningococcal disease, due to ongoing outbreaks associated with travel there. There were five confirmed cases between February and March this year, in people who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia or in their close contacts in England and Wales. It says invasive meningococcal disease is rare but serious and is caused by meningococcal bacteria. Meningococcal meningitis, inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord and septicaemia, blood poisoning, are severe conditions that can kill or leave people with life-changing disabilities including hearing loss, brain damage and limb amputations.
Harvard reports reveal antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, fear and exclusion
Two Harvard University reports into antisemitism, and anti-Arab and Muslim hate, have found discrimination, harassment, and exclusion on campus. One report said antisemitism and anti-Israel bias had been fomented, practiced, and tolerated not only at Harvard but also within academia more widely, infiltrating coursework, social life, the hiring of some faculty members and the worldview of certain academic courses. A separate report on anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bias on campus, found deep seated fear and alienation among students and staff, with 92 percent of Muslim survey respondents saying they feared penalties for expressing their political opinions. Harvard has taken disciplinary action against some students involved in pro- Palestine demonstrations. President Trump accused the university of turning a blind eye to antisemitism after the war in Gaza and billions of dollars of federal funding have been withdrawn. The university’s president, Alan Garber, said “Harvard cannot — and will not — abide bigotry” and vowed to implement recommended changes. Times report here
French Parliament holds a minute’s silence for man murdered in a mosque
The French Parliament has observed a minute’s silence in memory of Aboubakar Cisse, a 24-year-old Malian national who was fatally stabbed while praying in a mosque in the Gard region of southern France. The National Assembly President, Yaël Braun-Pivet, said the killing was a cowardly assassination that shocked the nation and the tribute was decided after consultations, despite the absence of an initial consensus. President Macron has said that “Racism and hatred based on religion can have no place in France. Freedom of worship cannot be violated”. Cisse was stabbed between 40 and 50 times during morning prayers. The suspect, named as “Olivier H”, is a 21-year-old French citizen of Bosnian origin, who surrendered to Italian police on Sunday and extradition proceedings are underway.
Faith of the saints in north of England re-told in church initiative
A film highlighting the stories of the Northern Saints such as St. Cuthbert and St. Hild, is to be released by the “Faith in the North” initiative, a programme seeking to encourage churches, schools and individuals to explore the Lord’s Prayer. Titled “Then as Now”, the film aims to show how the faith of the saints resonates today. The producer is Oliver Murray, who is training to be an Anglican priest in the Diocese of York, who said: “This film is about rediscovering the power of the Lord’s Prayer alongside the men and women who first shared it, spreading the light of faith in the North”. The film is released on 6 May and the trailer is here.
