Electing a pope
I really enjoyed reading this post from Wizbang this morning, about the selection of the next pope.
This is, of course, the obvious point but it's worth reminding people of its importance. Politics is simply how people get along and interact with one another and how we manage the relationships that are a result of living in society. It's a process marked by conflict, disagreement, and discord. So any group decision is, in this sense, "political."
On the larger question of whether "electing" a pope is a good idea, two thoughts spring to mind. First, check out Acts 1:15-26 for the story of the election of Matthias as an Apostle to replace Judas. Here, the Apostles were guided by prayer and the Holy Spirit. This is closely related to the second point which is that I think the cardinals think that the next pope has already been chosen by God and that their task, when they enter the conclave, is to discern that will through prayer and with the help of the Holy Spirit.
When you think about it, this isn't such a bad way to make a decision. I'm a stage in my life where I'm making some significant decisions about my future and I've found prayer to be invaluable in this process. Discerning God's will is not easy. For those of us who believe in God, this is a Biblically sound and valuable way of making decisions. To that end, I wish the cardinals luck as they seek to discern God's will for their church.
On the first point, it must be remembered that the Pontiff is also a political figure. Vatican City is an independent nation, and and the Pope is the head of state. And the political influence of the nation of Vatican City is far in excess of its apparent power through population, economics, or military power. And as such, who the Cardinals choose as the next Pope is a supremely political matter.
And there's nothing inherently wrong with politics. While I've always loved Dave Barry's definition of "politics" ("From the Latin 'poli,' meaning 'many,' and 'tics,' meaning 'small, biting insects'"), it's simply the art of people getting along. Everything is, in some sense or another, "political." It's only when the "politics" take precedence over the actual getting-along part that it becomes a problem.
This is, of course, the obvious point but it's worth reminding people of its importance. Politics is simply how people get along and interact with one another and how we manage the relationships that are a result of living in society. It's a process marked by conflict, disagreement, and discord. So any group decision is, in this sense, "political."
On the larger question of whether "electing" a pope is a good idea, two thoughts spring to mind. First, check out Acts 1:15-26 for the story of the election of Matthias as an Apostle to replace Judas. Here, the Apostles were guided by prayer and the Holy Spirit. This is closely related to the second point which is that I think the cardinals think that the next pope has already been chosen by God and that their task, when they enter the conclave, is to discern that will through prayer and with the help of the Holy Spirit.
When you think about it, this isn't such a bad way to make a decision. I'm a stage in my life where I'm making some significant decisions about my future and I've found prayer to be invaluable in this process. Discerning God's will is not easy. For those of us who believe in God, this is a Biblically sound and valuable way of making decisions. To that end, I wish the cardinals luck as they seek to discern God's will for their church.
posted by Jesse Zink at 11:41 AM Permalink
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