Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne expects the upcoming papal conclave to last longer than the relatively brief gathering that elected Pope Francis in 2013, the German prelate revealed Tuesday in Rome.

“I hope for a short conclave, but I believe everything is possible,” Cardinal Woelki told EWTN Germany Program Director Martin Rothweiler and CNA Deutsch Rome correspondent Rudolf Gehrig. 

“I expect it won’t go as quickly as the last conclave. But maybe I’ll be proven wrong. I would be happy about that.”

The 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis lasted just two days, making it one of the shortest in modern history.

Cardinal Woelki, who is participating in his second conclave, described a “fraternal and cordial atmosphere” among the cardinals currently gathered in Rome for the general congregations — the pre-conclave meetings where cardinals discuss Church matters.

“Most of the cardinals haven’t seen each other for a long time, and many are happy and have been happy to see each other again. That was my experience too,” Cardinal Woelki said.

The cardinal characterized the meetings as having “a very concentrated, calm, factual working atmosphere,” noting that despite differences in perspectives brought from various particular churches with different cultures and mentalities, “there is simply good cooperation.”

According to Cardinal Woelki, the cardinals are addressing “all the topics that are already of importance,” including evangelization and “that theological deepening must take place with regard to synodality and the relationship between synodality and hierarchy.”

The discussions also cover broader societal challenges, including increasing secularization, the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, ongoing wars, societal and political polarization, and concerns about democracy’s diminishing significance while autocracies appear to advance.

Cardinal Woelki emphasized that the conclave is “not a church-political event” but a “spiritual event” where cardinals seek “to identify the candidate, also in prayer and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord has appointed for this task.”

The cardinal is currently staying at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where all cardinals participating in the conclave will reside once it begins. With a touch of humor, Cardinal Woelki admitted he hoped not to be reassigned rooms before the conclave, saying he was “too lazy, honestly, to pack everything again.”

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.