All I’m saying is read the Encyclicals and use your brain to process them and then make comparisons to Pope Francis, his statements and the teachings of VII. Pope Francis does not have infallibility unless he speaks Ex Cathedra. His ramblings and interviews on airplanes are not infallible, but they do show his thought processes. As a Jesuit, he is supposed to be highly educated, but he has said nothing which indicates that he has even read any of the Encyclicals of previous Popes - or if he has, he has disregarded them all.
I do believe that Popes CAN be elected under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but many times the Cardinals do not allow themselves to be so inspired. It’s called Free Will. If they are all Modernists, too, it is highly likely that they would elect a Modernist Pope. And, by the way, it was Pope Paul VI (who foisted the Novus Ordo on the Church) who did away with Pope St. Pius X’s requirement that everyone in positions of authority in the Church take the “Oath Against Modernism.” What this leads one to believe is that Pope Paul VI a) did not care that the Church was becoming infected with the heresy of Modernism and b) he probably crossed his fingers when he signed the Oath himself.
Read also all the material on Our Lady’s appearances at Fatima. Many people believe that the Third Secret, which has not been revealed (contrary to propaganda otherwise), contains warnings about apostosy in the Vatican.
You are wise to read the Encylicals, and continue to be wise in recognizing what is and is not ex cathedra.
However, Catholics who are 40 and under are conditioned to the very formal and academic statements of both Bl. John Paul II and Pope Benedict. When faced with unscripted, and informal remarks, as well as the inaccurate commentary of an ill-intentioned media, we often find ourselves uneasy.
The Papacy is about continuity of the teachings of the Apostles. While prepared, precise statements reduce the room for doubt, they also increase, at least intellectually, the distance between the “average” person and the Pope.
I also believe you are correct that Cardinal Electors are capable of ignoring the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, however, Jesus promises the Gates of Hell won’t prevail against it. That is one heck of a promise!
Regarding Pope Paul VI and the pledge against Modernism, that is before my time and I can’t speak to it, except to say I must trust in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Bible, and holy priests who present the Sacrifice of the Mass.