Conclave
Today, the Cardinals go into Conclave, locked together in the Sistine Chapel, until they elect the next Pope, the successor of St Peter. It is a serious business, since so much hangs on who that man will be. In our church, as in many, many churches throughout the Catholic world, Masses have been offered Pro eligendo Summo Pontifice, with accompanying prayers from the faithful, that the Cardinals will choose the right man. There have been Masses offered in honour of the Holy Spirit, since it is understood that he has an important part to play in the process. But what is his role? It is easy to imagine that the Holy Spirit is solely responsible for the choice, but that might not account for the bad popes who have governed the Church from time to time.
Pope Francis, who revealed that Cardinal Ratzinger had been his candidate in 2005, was asked what he thought the Holy Spirit was saying to the Catholic Church through the election of Pope Benedict. He said that the Spirit was saying, “Here I am in charge. There is no room for manoeuvre.” Back in 1997, when Ratzinger was asked whether the Spirit was responsible for the choice of the new pope, he chuckled and said, “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.”
Pope Benedict’s nuanced response is surely correct. He acknowledges the sense in which the Holy Spirit isn’t responsible: the electors have free will to choose whom they will. But at the same time, he also acknowledges the sense in which the Holy Spirit is responsible: the Spirit’s elastic, educative approach ultimately envelops the process and shields the barque of Peter from shipwreck. And certainly in the last centuries, the Church has been blessed with some outstanding holders of the Keys of Peter. Think of those men from the last couple of centuries, whose cause for beatification has been successfully pursued: Pius IX, Pius X, Pius XII (Venerable), John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II. The Alexander VI’s and Boniface VIIIs are all very much in the past.
The manner in which the Press reports on the choice and election of the new Vicar of Christ has been very much as if it were a political appointment. Hence the mantra from the Cardinals, “not a successor of Francis, but a successor of Peter,” which gives us hope that while the human element is indeed present — the Cardinals vote, debate, and deliberate — we should hold firmly to the belief that God works through their hearts and minds as they cast their votes.
When the new Pope emerges on the balcony of St Peter’s (whatever his theological colours) some of his supporters may think to themselves that the Holy Spirit has dramatically intervened and secured the best man for the job. Some of his critics, on the other hand, might think that the God has just withdrawn his wisdom and left the Cardinals to pick the wrong person.
Neither would be right, and both would be thinking not as God does but as human beings do. Instead, the decision of the cardinal electors will resound with the same unified but distinctive force as that declaration of the first apostles: “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 15:28)