New Recruits Join Swiss Guard

"The emblematic Pontifical Swiss Guard, entrusted with the safety of the Successor of Peter and the Apostolic Palace for more than five centuries, welcomed 23 new recruits to its ranks in an annual ceremony at the Vatican.

"On the afternoon of May 6, 23 Swiss Guards - easily identifiable thanks to their Renaissance-style parti-colored uniforms - took the oath during a ceremony in the Vatican's St. Damasus Courtyard in the presence of Msgr. Paolo Borgia, the assessor of the secretary of state, and Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the prefect of the Papal Household, who were representing Pope Francis.

"The date of the annual event commemorates the 147 Swiss Guards who died defending Pope Clement VII during the sack of Rome by the troops of Charles V in 1527. The guard is one of the oldest continuously active military units."

A recent National Catholic Register article reported on this Swiss Guards ceremony/celebration. The report also gave an overview of the Swiss Guards, including what it means to be a member of the guard.

To access the complete National Catholic Register report, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Soldiers of the Pope: The Ancestral Tradition of the Pontifical Swiss Guard in the Vatican (10 MAY 19)