Speculation can't influence the Spirit

Last Sunday, "60 Minutes" on CBS invited two priests -- Rev. Richard McBrien, author of a recent book about the history of the papacy, and Rev. Thomas Reese, editor of America magazine -- to speculate about who will become the next pope.

Their guesses took them around the world. Might it be an African, like Cardinal Arinze, or an Italian like Cardinal Martini? Could it be a former Jew who converted: Cardinal Lustiger of France? No American qualifies, they agreed; and the College of Cardinals is likely to select an older man whose term will be much shorter than the current pontiff's. Next month, Pope John Paul II celebrates 20 years at the Vatican.

The Holy Spirit got only an off-handed passing mention in their discussion. Electing a pope is a political process like the smoke-filled rooms of the past that selected presidential candidates, opined Father McBrien. Nominees for the chair of St. Peter will have the religious equivalents of James Carville and George Stephanopoulos flogging their worthiness and rounding up votes.

Some of that is true. Cardinals are human beings whose deliberations will be swayed by familiarities, nationalities, philosophies, theologies and many other factors. But when the time comes to elect a new pope, there will be more in the locked room than cardinals. The Holy Spirit will be present, both working through those humans and letting its wind blow where it may.

We suspect that's how the Church got such leaders as John XXIII, John Paul I and John Paul II, three surprises out of the last four popes.

Predictions can be fun (although certain to make the current pontiff nervous about the state of his health), but in the end such prophecies are futile because they can't take into account the most important element of all: God's will.

(10-08-98)

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