Cardinal Robert McElroy, the former bishop of San Diego, is part of a highly secretive conclave that will select the new pope. The big picture: Pope Francis' death puts into motion a meticulous process that brings cardinals from across the globe to the Vatican for a historic vote on who will lead the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Francis appointed a significant number of cardinals from the Global South. Among the 135 cardinals currently eligible to vote in the papal conclave, 82 are non-European.

In the lead-up to every presidential election, political pundits spend months analyzing the tiniest nuances of the voting population to see whether demographics might provide a clue about the outcome.