(LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Walter Kasper has said that the upcoming conclave could take longer than the previous two and reiterated his support for the continuation of Pope Francis’ agendas.

In an interview with the German Catholic outlet Domradio, Kasper was asked how long he thinks the upcoming conclave will last.

“You can’t say that at all,” the 92-year-old cardinal said. “The last conclaves have all gone relatively quickly. This time, many of the cardinals don’t know each other, which could cause a delay.”

“Or if a conspiratorial group with a one-third majority wants to elect someone most people don’t want but still has this one-third majority, then you have to start all over again,” he continued. “That can delay things a lot.”

The conclaves that elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and Pope Francis in 2013 were notably brief. Both took only two days and fewer than five ballots.

Kasper was part of the infamous St. Gallen Mafia, a group of high-ranking, heterodox clerics who opposed Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s election to the papacy in 2005 and reportedly plotted to elect Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope. The group had multiple meetings in St. Gallen, Switzerland, between 1995 and 2006.

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Kasper was a voting cardinal in the 2005 and 2013 conclaves, but has now exceeded the age limit of 80 and will therefore not be able to participate in the upcoming conclave.

In his interview with Domradio, the German prelate stated his wish that the next pope would carry on the legacy of Francis:

I would personally like the new pope to continue on the foundations laid by Pope Francis.

Francis has taken many initiatives, opened many doors, and allowed many questions to be asked. The fact that we can discuss these issues at all without being censored has created a different, new atmosphere.

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