Whatever my opinion of him, Francis was elected by the only means we use; if God would simplify the process many of us Catholics would deeply appreciate it.
Any faith that keeps its basic tenets for millennia (including those that pre-date Christianity) will hold their adherents as long as they remain consistent; once they modify them to fit secular modern values (or lack of them) they are done. While the Catholic Church certainly has issues with declining membership in the West, they are nowhere near the problems facing Protestant denominations that have for all intents and purposes disappeared. The political activists that use the remaining buildings are not even heretics at this point; they are simply political activists. An Episcopal Church near my home has an array of flags in front: Puerto Rican, rainbow, ANC, etc. - basically demonstrating their political rather than religious thrust.
I don’t see that God gave any instructions at all in Scripture for selecting someone to the office that the Catholic church calls *pope*.
If anyone needs to simplify the process, it’s the organization that created it.