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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
The Next Pope - Checks and Balances	Marc	Monday, February 25, 2013
Question: Dear Brother Ignatius - In light of the fact that there have been some (not many) notoriously evil and corrupt men occupying the Chair of St Peter in the past, how did such men manage to be "elected" - was it through political manoeuvring and intrigue in the absence of the conclave? What checks and balances are now in place to prevent this re-occurring? Is the current conclave a sure way of preventing such a recurrence (viz. of a corrupt or looney pope occupying St Peter's Chair)? We believe the Holy Spirit in fact chooses the pope (through the human instrumentality of the electing cardinals). If this is so, why didn't the Holy Spirit prevent (or why did He even permit) evil men to be Christ's Vicar? To be sure, even the few evil popes we've had were stopped erring in faith and morals through the charism of infallibility - but why were such characters ever allowed to be pope in the first place? Was this a reflection on the corrupt state of the Church (and society) at that time? What is there to stop this happening again in the next election coming up soon? God bless you - Marc.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC Dear Marc: The political intrigue of yesteryear of kings, queens, emperors, and such manipulating the process of electing a Pope no longer exists. There is never any guarantee that the pope elected be holy. While the Holy Spirit guides the Cardinals in the selection of a Pope, the Cardinals must listen to the Holy Spirit. The Cardinals, like all other human beings, have free will. As such, if they refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit and select a man to be Pope that God did not choose, such a man will be elected. But, a corrupt pope cannot change or propose anything contrary to infallible teachings. This issue simply does not matter, in terms of the infallible teachings of the Church. Even if Satan himself were elected he could not lead the Church into dogmatic error, or propose error ex cathedra. If that were possible, God would be a liar when he said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. This guarantee has been historically proven, for example, in the case of Pope Vigilius, who was on the Chair of Peter from 537 to 555. Empress Theodora conspired with Vigilius to maneuver him into the Papacy for the express purpose to bring the Church into the Monophysite heresy. After Vigilius was elected and sat in the Chair of Peter, something happened to him. He wrote Theodora to tell her that he could not go through with the plan, that he would uphold the teaching of his predecessors. God protected the Church even when a man gained the papacy through suspect means and with the actual intention to bring the Church into heresy. A corrupt Pope can do damage, for sure, but not even Satan, should he be elected Pope, change the dogma and definitive teachings (infallible teachings) of the Church. The Church has had a few corrupt Popes and the Church survived just fine. One of God's promises is in Roman 8:28 ~ "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." God is not a liar, He keeps His promises. Should the Cardinals elect an evil man against the will of God, do not be afraid, God will use the mess for good. God can bring goodness even out of evil. He will take the lemon made by the Cardinals and create sweet lemonade. He will use the circumstance to purge and cleanse His Bride. Satan will never prevail. But, there is absolutely no logical reason to even speculate that this will happen. Be not afraid! Trust in God. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

The Next Pope - Checks and Balances

Marc

Monday, February 25, 2013

Question:

Dear Brother Ignatius -

In light of the fact that there have been some (not many) notoriously evil and corrupt men occupying the Chair of St Peter in the past, how did such men manage to be "elected" - was it through political manoeuvring and intrigue in the absence of the conclave? What checks and balances are now in place to prevent this re-occurring?

Is the current conclave a sure way of preventing such a recurrence (viz. of a corrupt or looney pope occupying St Peter's Chair)? We believe the Holy Spirit in fact chooses the pope (through the human instrumentality of the electing cardinals). If this is so, why didn't the Holy Spirit prevent (or why did He even permit) evil men to be Christ's Vicar?

To be sure, even the few evil popes we've had were stopped erring in faith and morals through the charism of infallibility - but why were such characters ever allowed to be pope in the first place? Was this a reflection on the corrupt state of the Church (and society) at that time? What is there to stop this happening again in the next election coming up soon?

God bless you -
Marc.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC

Dear Marc:

The political intrigue of yesteryear of kings, queens, emperors, and such manipulating the process of electing a Pope no longer exists.

There is never any guarantee that the pope elected be holy. While the Holy Spirit guides the Cardinals in the selection of a Pope, the Cardinals must listen to the Holy Spirit. The Cardinals, like all other human beings, have free will. As such, if they refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit and select a man to be Pope that God did not choose, such a man will be elected. But, a corrupt pope cannot change or propose anything contrary to infallible teachings.

This issue simply does not matter, in terms of the infallible teachings of the Church. Even if Satan himself were elected he could not lead the Church into dogmatic error, or propose error ex cathedra. If that were possible, God would be a liar when he said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church.

This guarantee has been historically proven, for example, in the case of Pope Vigilius, who was on the Chair of Peter from 537 to 555. Empress Theodora conspired with Vigilius to maneuver him into the Papacy for the express purpose to bring the Church into the Monophysite heresy.

After Vigilius was elected and sat in the Chair of Peter, something happened to him. He wrote Theodora to tell her that he could not go through with the plan, that he would uphold the teaching of his predecessors.

God protected the Church even when a man gained the papacy through suspect means and with the actual intention to bring the Church into heresy.

A corrupt Pope can do damage, for sure, but not even Satan, should he be elected Pope, change the dogma and definitive teachings (infallible teachings) of the Church.

The Church has had a few corrupt Popes and the Church survived just fine. One of God's promises is in Roman 8:28 ~ "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." God is not a liar, He keeps His promises.

Should the Cardinals elect an evil man against the will of God, do not be afraid, God will use the mess for good. God can bring goodness even out of evil. He will take the lemon made by the Cardinals and create sweet lemonade. He will use the circumstance to purge and cleanse His Bride. Satan will never prevail.

But, there is absolutely no logical reason to even speculate that this will happen.

Be not afraid! Trust in God.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum