Rome – There may be some famous athletes to join the crowds of St. Peter’s Square over the next few days and track down the Conclave to elect a new Pope.
At the Italian Open, which began this week, tennis players Coco Gauf and Iga Swiecsk said they would head to the Vatican if they had the chance.
“I’m not Catholic, I’m going because I feel it’s historic,” Gauff, 2023 US Open champion, said Tuesday. “We talked about it. I learned a lot because I don’t know anything about Catholic religion. The whole thing about smoke, I thought it was cool.
During the conclave, the votes burn, and the black smoke from the chimney at Sistine Chapel means no decision. That the white smoke signal card s chose the Pope and that he accepted.
Swiatek, a three-time Roman champion from Poland, said, “I just want to go (to go) to experience. But I see logistically how it looks.” She pointed out there is no way to know exactly when the Pope will be elected or how long the Conclave will last.
The Conclave begins on Wednesday and the Italian opening will continue until May 18th.
Gouf is a devout Christian and often mentions her faith in post-match speeches, including when she lost the Madrid Open Final to Alina Sabalenka on Saturday.
“That’s very important to me,” Gouf said of her faith. “I’m not here.
“When you start criticizing people for saying something, whether it’s religion or sexuality pride or something like that, it’s a bit of censorship. I think we should all be able to do what we want, as long as it doesn’t hurt others.