IMO, the Pope is elected. The Cardinals meet and cast ballots. A new Pope may not be named until after several ballots.

In the case of the Mormon Prophet, when the previous Prophet dies, the Quorum of Twelve Apostles meets to name the successor. They have never taken a "vote". There are no ballots. They have always been in agreement on who the new Prophet should be. By tradition, the most senior member of the 12 becomes the new Prophet, but nothing in Mormon doctrine says it can't be someone else.


>He sounds more like an elected official than a prophet. I hate to keep going back to comparisons to the Catholic church but is this like the old belief that popes were divinely chosen, almost divine themselves? If that's the case I don't see why an election by men would be needed.
>
>Not being contrary, just trying to understand better.