There is no Catholic teaching that says the Holy Spirit selects the Pope. The only protection given by the Holy Spirit is to ensure that no Pope destroys the Church. In the selection process, He inspires, but that inspiration may be rejected.
Well, if the Holy Spirit doesn’t guide the church in something as basic as the selection of the new pope, then how exactly does He protect the church from error or from being destroyed?
How then, does anyone know what the Holy Spirit’s will is for the Church if they can’t hear Him for something simple, like selection of the pope?
And if the selection of the pope is not guided by the Holy Spirit and they ignore the inspiration given by Him, then how can any pope speak ex cathedra?
The claim that the Holy Spirit is protecting the Church falls flat when He can’t even *protect* it from the wrong man being elected pope.
Se #30 above.
Of course, whether all papal encyclicals and public teachings and bulls must be believed by Catholics, or everything the Catechism teaches, or that only infallible decrees require assent of faith, are matters of disagreement.