My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we gather today in a time of waiting, a time of anticipation. The eyes of the world are turned towards Rome, towards the Sistine Chapel, where in just a few days the cardinals of our Holy Catholic Church will gather in conclave. They are there to choose a new Pope, the visible head of our Church on earth, the successor of Peter. It is a time of prayer, a time of hope, and a time of reflection on the path forward for the Church.