Catholic cardinals entering a conclave on Wednesday to pick a new pope do not yet have a clear idea of who will emerge as Pope Francis' successor, several said, and speeches by individual clerics in meetings this week may be decisive.

Cardinals hailing from 71 different countries will begin electing a pope this week in the most geographically diverse conclave in history.

Two cardinals, Michael Czerny and Chibly Langlois, sat down with ABC News to discuss the challenges facing the church that the new pope will have to face.

Catholic cardinals will enter a sealed conclave this week to choose a new pope, with the Church's 1.4 billion members holding their breath over an uncertain outcome. The conclave begins Wednesday afternoon and could continue for days,

Four frontrunners have emerged as the most likely contenders known as papabile to succeed Pope Francis but at least a dozen others are in strong contention

As cardinals prepare for the largest papal conclave in history, battle lines are being drawn over the direction of the church.