Catholic cardinals set May 7 as the start date for the conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor, delaying the secret voting for two days so they can get to know one another better and find consensus on a candidate before they are sequestered in the Sistine Chapel.

The conclave is a time-honored process conducted in secrecy behind the locked doors of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.

Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.