by Jill Ragar Esfeld
jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
As we pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis, we must also pray for the election of our next pope — particularly for the cardinal electors as they discern God’s will.
The church does not teach that the Holy Spirit chooses the pope directly. The cardinals, through spiritual discernment, elect a new pope; and they need the support of the lay faithful in making that choice.
Prior to the conclave, the cardinals will gather for a special morning Mass at the Vatican “invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in electing the new pope,” according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
During the conclave, the cardinals continue to invoke the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit does not override free will. Therefore, each cardinal remains free to exercise his own judgment.
And because the College of Cardinals is a human creation, any one of the cardinal electors can succumb to influences — personal, political or financial — that are outside the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
In 1997, when asked on Bavarian television whether or not the Holy Spirit chooses the pope, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger answered:
“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!”
And during Pope Benedict’s final address to the College of Cardinals on the day his resignation took effect he said:
“Before I say ‘goodbye’ to you personally, I would like to tell you that I shall continue to be close to you with prayers, especially in these coming days, so that you may be completely docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in the election of the new pope. May the Lord show you the one whom he wants.”
None of the cardinals is a perfect conduit of the Holy Spirit — only Jesus was — so ego and human will may interfere with each’s ability to discern the will of God.
This is why the cardinals need our prayers in the conclave, asking for an outpouring of guidance from the Holy Spirit.
