Catholic cardinals entering a conclave on Wednesday (May 7) 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 electing a new pope have some fundamental questions to weigh, beyond whether to give the Catholic Church its first Asian or African pope.

Cardinals from across the world have begun gathering in the Vatican for the conclave, a secret set of votes in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pope. Each day, dressed in striking scarlet robes, they will make their way from their lodgings in Casa Santa Marta to the chapel, where votes are cast beneath the frescoes.