Pope selection and God's will

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Does God will the selection of the Pope or is it left completely up to the free will actions of the Cardiinals?
 
The Cardinals should seek the guidance of the Spirit, but yes God respects their freewill.

The means of electing a Pope have changed over the course of Church history.
 
The means of electing the Popes indeed changed along the history.

Eventually we have the Cardinals who can have the votes of electing the Pope. They are supposed to pray about it. We believe that the Holy Spirit will guide them when they pray.
 
KevinK said:
Does God will the selection of the Pope or is it left completely up to the free will actions of the Cardiinals?
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The current electoral process started in 1059. Monarchs sometimes appointed a Pope without any election.
 
Yes, it was done less methodically before we had the College of Cardinals which were consist of Bishops. Cardinals could be lay people before.
 
Obligatory Cardinal Ratzinger quote from when he was asked if the Holy Spirit chooses the pope:
I would not say so, in the sense that the Holy Spirit picks out the Pope. . . . I would say that the Spirit does not exactly take control of the affair, but rather like a good educator, as it were, leaves us much space, much freedom, without entirely abandoning us. Thus the Spirit’s role should be understood in a much more elastic sense, not that he dictates the candidate for whom one must vote. Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined. . . . There are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit obviously would not have picked!
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Here’s an article from Jimmy Akin that goes into further detail:

 
KevinK said:
Does God will the selection of the Pope or is it left completely up to the free will actions of the Cardiinals?
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Your error is the assumption that these are mutually exclusive things.
 
Yes the Pope is the Vicar of Christ and its Gods will that he is elected Pope.
 
Only one was directly chosen by God (St. Peter). Otherwise, just as in the case with any other bishops, the authority to ordain and appoint clergy has been given to the Church. Other than the general wisdom we seek from the Holy Spirit in all we do, there is no special charism given for wisely appointing or electing bishops.
 
They are mutually exclusive. If the free will of the Cardinals does not comport with God’s will then the only resolution is for God to interfere with the free will of the Cardinals.
 
KevinK said:
They are mutually exclusive. If the free will of the Cardinals does not comport with God’s will then the only resolution is for God to interfere with the free will of the Cardinals.
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I can see how you want them to be mutually exclusive in order for your question to stand as legitimate, but they aren’t.

Psalm 119:91: Your laws endure unto this day, for all things serve you
 
It’s Biblical.
God will never abandon His church on earth.
The selection of the Pope is guided by the Holy Spirit.
The College of Cardinals vote, not a bunch of dimwits.

Despite what some would have the people believe.
 
KevinK said:
Your Bible quote does nothing to respond to my point.
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“For all things serve you” would likely include Catholic Cardinals as part of “all”. So yes, it does respond to your point. It dismisses the idea that God’s will and the action of Cardinals are discreet, separate things.
 
If God’s will is not discreet from the action of the Cardinals, then by definition their will is subject to God’s and therefore not free. Seems elementary to me. If you wish to eat pizza but my will is that you eat a hamburger and I am able to bring this about, in what sense are you free?
 
KevinK said:
If God’s will is not discreet from the action of the Cardinals, then by definition their will is subject to God’s and therefore not free. Seems elementary to me.
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Not to me. You propose a God, then, that is out-of-control. This is not the God of Christianity.

Man has will. God is sovereign. These two things exist simultaneously.
If you wish to eat pizza but my will is that you eat a hamburger and I am able to bring this about, in what sense are you free?
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I’m not. But If you will that I eat apples and I will that I eat apples then there is no conflict.

So then your question becomes this - how do you know God’s will in a discrete way that’s able to be tested? You don’t. Thought experiment over.
 
Vonsalza said:
So then your question becomes this - how do you know God’s will in a discrete way that’s able to be tested? You don’t. Thought experiment over.
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What testing is needed? As a Catholic don’t you believe everything is God’s will?
 
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