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 process to elect the next pope is shrouded in secrecy. Here’s a visual guide to the ancient tradition.

Here's everything you need to know about a conclave, the secret, centuries-old process used to select a new pope.