After weeks of discussion among Catholic cardinals at the General Congregations, where the 133 electors reflected together on the future of the Church and the kind of pope they want and need, the conclave begins on Wednesday, May 7. With cardinals from 70 countries across five continents, the majority of them named by Francis, it is the largest and the most international of its kind.

In a meeting shrouded in mystery, which begins Wednesday at 4:30 pm in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel and will last until a new pope is elected, cardinals will pray and vote up to four times a day. Until one person receives at least two-thirds of the votes, black smoke will billow from the Holy See's chimney. It will turn white when a new pope is elected.

Le Monde explains how the leader of the Catholic Church is chosen and the competing forces at play within the Church. Should the new pope embody a break or continuity with Francis's pontificate? Adapt to societal changes or adhere to ancient traditions? The outcome of this election will determine the direction of the Catholic Church in the coming years.