Tennis competitors Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, currently participating in the Internazionali d’Italia in Rome, have shared their interest in the significant event unfolding nearby at Vatican City: the process of selecting the next Pope, marked by the traditional white smoke signal.
Even though she does not practice Catholicism, American player Coco Gauff acknowledged the historical importance of the upcoming Conclave. “I would go because I feel like it’s an historic thing,” Gauff remarked during the tournament.
The Conclave, convened to choose a successor to Pope Francis, involves 133 cardinals. They will cast paper ballots, potentially up to four times daily, until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority, requiring at least 90 votes.
The moment a new Pope is elected is traditionally indicated by white smoke (fumata bianca) emitted from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. Following this, the announcement “Habemus Papam” (We have a Pope) is made by the Vatican.
Gauff expressed her fascination with this custom. “We talked about it,” she said, explaining her newfound knowledge. “I learned a lot because I don’t know anything about the Catholic religion. With the whole smoke thing, I thought that was cool. I would like to go and see it and be around it since we’re here.”
The event is particularly closely watched by Italian Catholics. Betting markets list Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy as a leading candidate, alongside Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines and Cardinal Peter Turkson from Ghana. Parolin, who serves as the Vatican`s Secretary of State, is seen as an experienced diplomat with a pragmatic style that appeals to centrist viewpoints.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek also shared her enthusiasm for potentially witnessing the white smoke. “I would love to do that, do it just to have the experience,” Swiatek stated.
She anticipated the public reaction in Rome. “I think it’s going to be super crowded. I think the whole Rome is going to be following.”
Swiatek also noted the uncertainties involved. “But I’ll see logistically how it’s going to look like. Also we don’t know when it’s going to happen, right? Might be couple months. So we’ll see.”
