Does god pick the next Pope??

[Angry Dragon]

Just listened to the news on the radio

The Church is attacking Italian newspapers for running stories that they feel will influence the Cardinals that will pick the next Pope. I have always heard that god moved the Cardinals to vote for the next Pope. It seems that the Church is unsure if it is politics or god that picks the next Pope. I think the Church should get their stories straight

Strange ..........

[Scuba]

1. Did he pick the last one?

[Angry Dragon]

2. I have always heard that the Cardinals are moved by god to pick the next Pope

according to the Church that would be a yes .............

[pangaia]

27. If god DOES move the cardinals

to pick each pope, then she sure played a humdinger of a joke on them last time.

[Autumn]

3. They could all pray that God gets an eye infection and he can't read the newspapers .

Or they could sequester him in a nice hotel till he makes a choice. Either one of those would solve the problem.

[Angry Dragon]

4. That is a good idea

[Scuba]

5. ...

[TheDebbieDee]

6. Don't be silly. The Cardinals are too scientific to leave the choice of the next

Pope to God.

The Cardinals will allow the color of smoke that results from burning the piece of paper with the candidate's name on it to determine who the next Pope will be.......

[cbayer]

7. Don't they decide on the color of the smoke in order to let the public know

that they have made a choice or not?

[Angry Dragon]

10. yes

they add a chenical to the ballots when they burn them to produce the color they want

[goldent]

8. This is like the British royal family complaining about loss of privacy

If there is interest, it will be reported on, you have to accept it. And right now there is a lot of interest in the papal election.

[cbayer]

9. It's an election. I guess some would say that they pray for guidance

or that god points them to the next pope, but I don't think anyone has suggested that there is some kind of divine intervention, otherwise the votes would always be unanimous on the first vote.

[Blue4Texas]

11. At best, inspiration, at worst ego

[cbayer]

13. IMHO, it's all politics.

[Blue4Texas]

21. It would be about sex then LOL

Contraception, celibacy and marriage of priests, women as priests, same sex marriage, abortion - omg thank you for helping me see this!

[pangaia]

28. Does that mean that god tells one cardinal

to vote for one guy, another cardinal to vote for another guy, and so on?

[cbayer]

29. I have no idea, but I suspect some of them will feel they were guided in some way.

Can that over-ride their own politics or their personal ambitions.

History would argue that it does not.

[hrmjustin]

12. The Roman Catholic Church believes that the Holy Spirit guides them, but they believe that the

cardinals are the one's who make the decision.

[Moonwalk]

14. Well, now I'm confused. How can it be both? I mean, if god guides them to pick X...

...then how can it be their choice rather than god's? If it's their choice, then wouldn't god hang back and not give them any guidance? Complete free will and all that? Or are we saying that god gives them a hint and sees if they can figure out which one he's talking about?

god: "Before he wanted to be a priest, this candidate for the next pope planned on being a soccer player and was so good at it he scored many winning goals his school..."

Cardinal #1: "Hm. I can think of four or five who meet that description. Which one could it be...?"

Cardinal #2: "I know which ones god is talking about and I don't want any of them. If I vote for someone else entirely does that mean I'm working for Satan?"

Cardinal #3: "Oh, I know who god's taking about! I know--"

[hrmjustin]

15. Guidance is probably not the word the church should use. Strength is a better word.

But it is the cardinals decision not God's.

[Moonwalk]

18. Now I'm even more confused--

--If a cardinal needs supernatural help to be strong enough to vote for a worthy candidate over an unworthy candidate than why was he made a cardinal and given this responsibility?

I mean, no one can guarantee that god will answer any prayer, even one by a cardinal or pope, right? Shouldn't anyone who knows themselves to be morally/ethically weak refuse the job of cardinal on the off-chance that they might not be given the strength by god to do this very important job--and, therefore, due to their weakness, will do it poorly and give a lot of power to the wrong man?

[hrmjustin]

20. I like you moonwalk.

They believe that God has a hand in it. How this occurs i really can not tell you. I left the RCC at 18 years old and joined the Episcopal Church. To me it is political for many cardinals, and a few it is about spirituality. I have no doubt God is among them when they choose, but the are the one's that choose.

[Marrah_G]

16. Has zero to do with God and everything to do with internal vatican politics

It has NEVER had anything to do with God.

[Angry Dragon]

17. If that is the case then they should let all catholics vote

[Marrah_G]

19. But that would mean giving up power, something the Catholic church is not known for.

[brooklynite]

22. Since the Pope was religiously ordained...

...and since the Pope is still alive, why doesn't he pick his own replacement? Think of the travel savings.

[Angry Dragon]

23. The Catholics claim Peter was the first Pope and he was picked by god

Don't worry about the money, the church has plenty

[goldent]

30. The blibical evidence for Peter is pretty good...

Matthew 16:

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter (rock), and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Of course, Jesus was on earth at the time, which was very handy.

[EvilAL]

24. Nope. Men do.

That they are "Guided/influenced/told/etc.. by the holy spirit" might have worked 1000 years ago, but it's not that simple anymore.

[goldent]

25. I think it is today as it was since the beginning

At the last supper, the disciples were jockeying for position (Luke 22):

A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.

Turf battle (Luke 9):

“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Asking favors (Mathew 20):

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

“What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

[EvilAL]

26. Yeah it is,

Men pick who will head the church, same as it always was. Nothing about divine influence or anything.