Hypothetically, could the wrong person be chosen as Pope?

[Brooklyn]

This is not possible.

This is Christ’s Church on Earth and the Pope is the successor of St Peter. It might look like some strange choices of Pope have been made at times, but we do not know God’s plan for His Church and how all of these choices fit into His overall plan.

Absolutely. No one on earth has the right to sit in judgment of the Holy Father. This is one of the great mysteries of the Church. I will repeat what I said in an earlier post. To sit in judgment of the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ, Christ’s human representative on earth, is to sit in judgment of God. Support of the Holy Father, no matter who he is and what our personal feelings may be, is one of the main doctrines separating Catholics from non Catholics. This is not deifying any man or “papal worship” as many Protestants accuse us. It is simply acknowledging Christ’s statement to us that the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church.

 

[tommydude2112]

Could the wrong person be chosen as Pope? It is a vote made by men, who are fallible, and I’ve read about a 12 year old Pope (benedict IX) and that just seems so incredulous to me. Basically, could the wrong person be chosen as Pope because of human error or sin?

We believe that out of the hundred or so cardinals, the fact that the majority of them have all voted for one man, means that God has intervened and we believe also that God has had an influence on the cardinals and has led them in the right path (without breaking free will)

However, when Popes do turn out as bad popes, I guess that’s just down to power getting to their heads (we are only human) or through another kind of sinful or daemonic intervention

 

[Elizium23]

We believe that out of the hundred or so cardinals, the fact that the majority of them have all voted for one man, means that God has intervened and we believe also that God has had an influence on the cardinals and has led them in the right path (without breaking free will)

And yet, even the Popes believe that God’s will is not necessarily shown in the conclave votes.

 

[Brendan_64]

And yet, even the Popes believe that God’s will is not necessarily shown in the conclave votes.

That is because the Cardinals, like all of us, have been given the gift of free will. God does not force the cardinals in a certain direction during the conclave. Christ set up His Church on Earth and has invested authority in the Chair of Peter. God does operate in the short time spans that we do, and in the long term His Church cannot fail. In the conclave its not as if the Holy Spirit whispers in a cardinal’s ear, “Vote for this guy”. The cardinals exercise their own free will, the Holy Spirit does not ‘nudge’ them towards making a particular choice.

In the short term, it is possible that some strange choices for Pope may be made, but whoever is chosen is invested with authority from God. Would God invest authority in the Pope if this was not compatible with the long-term plan for His Church and for humanity?

For any of us to say or think, “We don’t like what this Pope is saying and we do not agree with it, therefore the wrong person must have been chosen as Pope”, is a very dangerous position to take as this puts us in the position of questioning the authority of God.

 

[Brooklyn]

That is because the Cardinals, like all of us, have been given the gift of free will. God does not force the cardinals in a certain direction during the conclave. Christ set up His Church on Earth and has invested authority in the Chair of Peter. God does operate in the short time spans that we do, and in the long term His Church cannot fail. In the conclave its not as if the Holy Spirit whispers in a cardinal’s ear, “Vote for this guy”. The cardinals exercise their own free will, the Holy Spirit does not ‘nudge’ them towards making a particular choice.

In the short term, it is possible that some strange choices for Pope may be made, but whoever is chosen is invested with authority from God. Would God invest authority in the Pope if this was not compatible with the long-term plan for His Church and for humanity?

For any of us to say or think, “We don’t like what this Pope is saying and we do not agree with it, therefore the wrong person must have been chosen as Pope”, is a very dangerous position to take as this puts us in the position of questioning the authority of God.