Why the Church isn't Rational

Council of Vatican II

During the election of hte Pope, there was a lot of dialogue about how a Pope from the US would be a great Pope. People tried to predict how the conclave would decide on a new pope.  While the theory of picking the best candidate for the job via qualifications works for most positions of responsiblity, it does not work within the Church. Here's why. The cardinals in the conclave didn't think about who to pick. The Church doesn't operate in a totally rational way. It oes much, much better. The Church operates by praying and reflecting. ather than making a decision themselves, they pray to God on how to decide certain solutions to problems. As such, they can acomplish much more than any other institution. They have an infinite pool of knowledge and wisdom to guide them, which means they always make the best decision. The first proof of this is how they are cut off from the outside world. In any other kind of election, current events dictate policy actions. However, with the Church, current events never seemed to matter. Why? Because the Church is guided by God, who is not bound by time. He is eternal, meaning he can make hte bst decision for the long term and the short term. The second, and most compelling, argument as to why hte CHurch determines their leaders through God is the fact they picked then-Cardinal Bergoglio. He was not really a candidate for hte Papacy, let alone a front runer. THe reason nobody saw it coming is because we are finite biengs. We can't see and understand everything that goes on and understand how it impacts the Church, but God can. That's why Bergoglio was chosen. THe Church is guided by God and uses God's will to determine decisions.