As the cardinals enter the conclave all is dark. There is no consensus and even they do not know what lies ahead or what road they will take. Although everything is in their hands, so much is unknown. What will happen as the votes come in from all over the world? What direction will the Holy Spirit lead the conclave? All is unknown and lies ahead.

I will be there. I have died for my Church and guided my Church for all these years. Peter was my choice. I gave to him the keys of the kingdom, bestowing full power in heaven and earth. I have never withdrawn that power of the keys from the papacy. It remains there and will stay there until the end of time.

Yet situations shift. Times change. Nations rise and fall. Amid all of this, my Church remains and the papacy remains. I will lead this conclave to choose a pope who is a turning point, giving the Church a new direction and a surprising new life.

How much I want my Church to grow and to prosper. I am like the gardener, always cultivating the tree so that it brings forth more fruit. This is always my question, “What more can I do so that my Church brings forth more fruit?” These are the gifts that I have already planted in the heart of my priest son whom I will raise up. These seeds of new life are already in his heart. They have been planted for years. These seeds contain the future of the Church. They are new seeds, living seeds, seeds that will bring forth great fruit.