Christianroland marcel richard has just published a book on the papal guard the first history of the popes personal army to be written by a. Swiss guards attend the popes weekly audience in st peters square. May 07, 2018 vatican city on sunday, the newest class of swiss guards was sworn in, continuing a 500year tradition of taking an oath to protect the pope. With the election of pope benedict xvi, the world witnessed the pomp. Sex parties, drugs and gay escorts at the popes residence. Along side their italian soldiers cales the vaticans corps of gendarmes, the swiss soldiers are in charge of protecting the pope. Guards are expected to be ready to lay down their lives in defence of the pope and are supposed to be of impeccable moral and religious character. With the recent elections of pope benedict xvi and pope francis, the world witnessed the pomp and honor of the swiss guard, the popes army. The swiss guard, the worlds smallest army, was formed in 1506 by pope julius ii. Swiss guard andrea saxe widmer, author of the pope and the ceo, in his final audience with pope john paul ii before leaving the swiss guards shaking hands with the pope catholic news roman catholic papa francisco juan pablo ll swiss guard pope john paul ii paul 2 saint peter square vatican city.
The swiss guards colourful and valuable presence at the service of the pope and vatican city state is an occasion to grow as courageous soldiers of christ and be witnesses of holiness to countless tourists and visitors, he said. Pope francis inspires cookbook written by swiss guard telegraph. Jan 20, 2014 a former commander of the swiss guard, the small force of men whose job it is to protect the pope, has said there is a network of homosexuals within the vatican, the latest in a series of claims. Oct 22, 2014 pope francis inspires cookbook written by swiss guard milk pudding for pope francis, wurstel salad for benedict xvi and dumplings for john paul ii a new book by the elite soldiers of the swiss. The pope obtained permission for the surviving swiss guards to join the new guard, but only 12 of them accepted, among them hans gutenberg of chur and albert rosin of zurich. The book has an unique organization, reflecting that family. The others wished to have nothing to do with the hated lansquenets. Swiss guard book leafs through 500 years swi swissinfo. It is the smallest professional army in the world with about 110 soldiers. A swiss guard adjusts his hat as he waits for the arrival of pope benedict xvi to lead a special audience with priests of the diocese of rome in paul vis hall at the vatican february 14, 20. Promotional film of the pontifical swiss guard 2018. As their name implies, the swiss guards are a militia of swiss soldiers primarily responsible of guarding the vatican.
Who are the pontificial swiss guards who protect the pope. A former commander of the swiss guard, the small force of men whose job it is to protect the pope, has said there is a network of homosexuals within the vatican, the latest in a series of claims. Visitors to the holy see are often fascinated by the colorful uniforms worn by the swiss guards when serving the pope. Swiss guards produce cookbook on popes favourite meals. This article needs additional citations for verification. The most famous episode in the history of the swiss guards was their defence of the tuileries palace in central paris during the french revolution. Swiss guard veteran claims existence of gay network at. Door, the main entrance to the papal palace and the control post of the swiss guards, the duty. Historically, the reason for the use of swiss catholics for the role of protecting the pope was the. Five hundred years of the papal swiss guard, a popular narrative of the history of the military unit, has been published by a new york firm, crossroads. The swiss guard have been serving as the pope s security since 1506. Pope francis inspires cookbook written by swiss guard.
Swiss guard veteran claims existence of gay network at the. The swiss guard, or pontifical guard, makes up the smallest army in the world, comprised of 5 men who act as the private body guards of the pope and, together with the gendarmerie the vatican police, protect all entrance and exit points of the vatican and castel gandolfo, the popes summer residence. May 06, 2016 the last mercenary troops of switzerland, the pontifical swiss guards, have a longstanding service to the vatican. Most students of history assume that the age of the warlord popes ended with the.
Many parts of this fine book read like an adventure novel. The swiss guards are the vaticans official military in charge of security. Swiss guards, italian guardia svizzera, corps of swiss soldiers responsible for the safety of the pope. Dec 30, 2015 swiss papal guard the only force that has protected the pope for 500 years now. Alvarez s history expands our understanding of the papacys military through the exceptional research he has done as the first american scholar to gain access to the archive of the pontifical swiss guard and the modern military records in the vatican secret archive.
Tourists and pilgrims who flock to rome see these colorful men and wonder. John paul ii was particularly partial to pierogi, a type of polish. The pontifical swiss guard also papal swiss guard or simply swiss guard. Recently i ran across a website with some excellent photos of swiss guard flags, including the most recent, at a pdf of the definitive swiss guard history, which contains information on the history of the guards flags, is also available there through a link. New class of swiss guards carries on 500year tradition of. Around australia diocese and parishes history vatican world videos eedition. The popes private army 10 cool facts about the vaticans. In commemoration of the swiss guards bravery in defending pope clement vii during the sack of rome, recruits to the swiss guard are sworn in on 6 may every year. Jan 22, 2006 swiss guard book leafs through 500 years. Apr 08, 2019 the swiss guard, or pontifical guard, makes up the smallest army in the world, comprised of 5 men who act as the private body guards of the pope and, together with the gendarmerie the vatican police, protect all entrance and exit points of the vatican and castel gandolfo, the popes summer residence. Nov 07, 2011 a history of the vaticans swiss guard.
He also deals extensively with the vatican gendarmeria as well as the popes noble guards, palatine guards, and swiss guards, describing their distinctive responsibilities and revealing the competition and internal tensions that sometimes undermined the morale, preparedness, and cohesion of the popes guards. Do the swiss guards follow the pope when he travels abroad. French writer frederic martel, whose new book exposes the sexual secrets of the vatican, explains how the moral rot of the catholic church is rooted in its clergys repressed homosexuality. Secret services role in protecting the head of state. The swiss guard is half ceremonial with cool costumes and half the equivalent of the u. In the event known as the stand of the swiss guard, the swiss. Now robert royal takes us through the colorful 500year history of the military guard that has witnessed every major vatican event for half a. Documentary the vaticans papal swiss guard youtube. The guard was disbanded yet again in 1848, when pius ix fled to gaeta, but was reinstated when the pope returned to rome in the following year. The vatican and the papal states were part of the faction that opposed the habsburg dynasty in the 1520s, an opposition that led to war when pope clement vii appealed to france for aid. John paul iis leadership lessons to a young swiss guard by andreas widmer 20110901. Mar 27, 2018 promotional film of the pontifical swiss guard 2018.
The swiss guard have been serving as the popes security since 1506. For the swiss guards in france and other countries, see swiss guards. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. In the accounts of history, swiss guards guard the vatican to ensure the citys safety, as it is the center of the catholic church where proclaimed popes reside.
Vatican city on sunday, the newest class of swiss guards was sworn in, continuing a 500year tradition of taking an oath to protect the pope. May 17, 2016 the pontifical swiss guard is a closeknit group and more like a family, revealing the vatican cookbook is more of a family cookbook. Pope francis inspires cookbook written by swiss guard milk pudding for pope francis, wurstel salad for benedict xvi and dumplings for john paul ii a new book by the elite soldiers of the swiss. Royal takes us through the colorful 500year history of the military guard that has. The swiss guard are the pope s highlytrained security force. Of the nine hundred swiss guards defending the palace on 10 august 1792, about six hundred were killed during the fighting or massacred after surrender. Often called the worlds smallest army, they serve as personal escorts to the pontiff and as watchmen for vatican city and the pontifical villa of castel gandolfo. The popes soldiers by david alvarez overdrive rakuten. Huldrych zwingli, a swiss catholic who later became a protestant reformer is reputed to have said. This book is a small treasure for anyone who wants to have a glimpse into the long history of the papal swiss guard. Their captain, kaspar roist, was wounded and later sought refuge in his house, where he was killed by spanish soldiers in front of his wife. Bishop vincent long ofm conv recently had his photo taken with the swiss guards the personal army of pope francis. The pope held a private audience with the swiss guard, including 40 new recruits and their family members.
Bishop vincent long ofm conv with two swiss guards at the vatican. Guards are expected to be ready to lay down their lives in defence of the pope and are supposed to. Dec 03, 2014 pope francis removes swiss guard chief. The last mercenary troops of switzerland, the pontifical swiss guards, have a longstanding service to the vatican. Mercenaries were hired from switzerland during the middle ages and they fought valiantly in foreign wars. The book reveals a lot about the daily lives and the history of the swiss guard. Originally, the swiss guard was an army that acted on behalf of the pope and the catholic church.
A military history of the modern vatican modern war studies. Popes swiss guards show devotion to food swi swissinfo. The swiss guard members are an elite trained group of military professionals. Now robert royal takes us through the colorful 500year history of the military guard that has witnessed every major vatican event for half a millennium. Swiss papal guard the only force that has protected the pope for 500 years now. Dressed with an unmistakable uniform, the swiss guard offer one of the most picturesque images of the vatican, although its role is far from being merely decorative. Disgusted confessions of a vatican guard newscomau. This bodyguard of mercenaries was created in 1506 and 19 years later suffered its greatest challenge, when it defended the pope against the imperial troops of charles v and lost 147 of its 189 members. The pontifical swiss guard is a closeknit group and more like a family, revealing the vatican cookbook is more of a family cookbook. The swiss guard is the group in charge of the vatican citys states safety. The sack of rome, then part of the papal states, on 6 may 1527 was carried out by the mutinous troops of charles v, holy roman emperor during the war of the league of cognac. Now, the swiss guard protects the pope and vatican city. Besides guarding the entire city of vatican and the most prominent religious leader of the catholic faith, the pope, swiss guards nowadays have only become part of ceremonial events.
Of the nine hundred swiss guards defending the palace on 10 august 1792, about six hundred were killed during the fighting or. A military history of the modern vatican modern war studies hardcover by david alvarez. The largely protestant german landsknechts, mutinying over unpaid wages, entered the city of rome and sacked it in a manner reminiscent of the barbarian pillages committed 1,100 years earlier. In the event known as the stand of the swiss guard, the swiss, alongside the garrisons remnant, made their last stand in the teutonic cemetery within the vatican. Oct 26, 2014 recipes from on high popes swiss guards show devotion to food. Sep 26, 2010 the swiss guards are the vaticans official military in charge of security. Its most significant, hostile engagement was on may 6, 1527 when 147 of the 189 guards lost their lives during the sack of rome in order to allow clement vii to escape escorted by the other forty guards. This is the most formal uniform the swiss guards have. Clement vii was forced to replace the swiss guard by a contingent of 200 german mercenaries custodia peditum germanorum. Nathanael swore to protect the pope with his life but quickly discovered that. Pope francis removes swiss guard chief world news the.
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