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

Roman Catholic cardinals will begin their secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church on May 7, the Vatican said, confirming what a source had previously told Reuters.

The ancient process for selecting a new leader for the Catholic Church is shrouded in secrecy, but a look at the people who will be making the decision may offer some clues into how they'll vote.