"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26 NKJV)
This is one of several verses in the Bible where Jesus speaks of an "advocate" or a "helper" to assist us when He ascended into heaven to be seated at the Father's right hand. In this verse, the King James Version calls the Holy Spirit a "comforter." The Greek translation of that word is "paraclete," which is made of two words: para, meaning "alongside," and kletos, meaning "to call."
When we pray, the Holy Spirit will assist us, fulfilling the meaning of parakletos, "to be called and come alongside us in aid." The laity, priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and even the Pope know Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and many other languages. So when they pray during a Papal conclave, they understand they ask for help from the Holy Spirit and what it means to do so. The Sacred College of Cardinals asks—and needs—the Holy Spirit to guide their decisions and help them understand who should be the next Pope.
The election of a new Pope hasn't always been this way. The Papacy is riddled with deception and debauchery. Benedict IX (1012-1056) even sold his right once to the Holy See to his godfather. (He was appointed three times.)
Fortunately, the Papal conclave is very different today, so the Holy Spirit is invited to guide the cardinals in making the right decisions. Later in John's Gospel, Jesus tells us another promise of the Holy Spirit, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future" (John 16:13 NLT).
"Tell you about the future" or guide you to make the right choice for a decision that is to come. That is part of the Holy Spirit's nature—to guide, help, aid, comfort, and lead us. When the Holy See is officially recognized as sede vacante or "vacant seat," every cardinal below the age of 80 (being the threshold for Cardinals to vote, written in the Code of Canon Law) to the Vatican under an oath of secrecy and are locked in the Sistine Chapel until they have elected a new Pontiff.
Adherents to the Roman Catholic Church are no different than evangelicals in a charismatic church when it comes to "being led by the Spirit of God." The Holy Spirit never forces us to do anything. He will do what Jesus said He will do, but it is up to us to act upon that notion provided to us for the right decision and path in life.
During the papal conclave, the cardinals chant "Veni, Sancte Spiritus," which means, in Latin, "Come, Holy Spirit." He is welcome inside those locked doors to help guide them to the right man for the future of the Roman Catholic Church. Over 1.3 billion people are counting on them to make the right choice, so they need all the help they can get. They sit in silence, pray as one, and believe they will be encouraged in one direction or another.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us—and the College of Cardinals—in several ways:
- 1. The study of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
- 2. Earnest prayer (Acts 13:2)
- 3. Our thoughts or conscience (1 Corinthians 2:11-12)
- 4. Dreams and visions (Acts 2:16-17)
- 5. A still, small voice in our heart (1 Kings 19:11-12)
- 6. Encouragement or direction from other people (2 Samuel 12:1-12)
Whether a pope dies or resigns because of an unfortunate illness, there are men called by God who believe in the Holy Spirit to guide them. It wasn't always this way, and people do listen to the Lord through the filter of their emotions and thoughts. If the Holy Spirit is part of the Papal conclave, the answer is yes. He is invited, and from that moment, He does His work in the hearts of those cardinals.
Do they get the answer right once a new Pontiff has been elected?
Only time will tell, but the answer is there if they want it.
