About right now many young men from Switzerland are taking the following Oath as they hold their hand and their three fingers as a symbol of the Holy Trinity:
I swear I will faithfully, loyally and honorably serve the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI and his legitimate successors, and also dedicate myself to them with all my strength, sacrificing if necessary also my life to defend them. I assume this same commitment with regard to the Sacred College of Cardinals whenever the See is vacant.
Furthermore I promise to the Commanding Captain and my other superiors, respect, fidelity and obedience. This I swear! May God and our Holy Patrons assist me!
Whispers in the Loggia has a entry on the details that is pretty good at Changing of the Guard . The pictures of this event are always breathtaking too look at. I shall post those and a follow up later when the reports and photos starting coming in
From the Vatican Information Service we have two reports.
First
POPE THANKS SWISS GUARD FOR THEIR SERVICE
VATICAN CITY, 5 MAY 2008 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received 33 new recruits to the Pontifical Swiss Guard accompanied by their families and by other members of the Corps. In keeping with tradition, the new recruits will swear their oath of allegiance tomorrow, 6 May, in a ceremony to be held in the Vatican.
In his talk to them, delivered in German, French and Italian, the Pope pointed out how, five centuries after the foundation of the Corps, "the spirit of faith remains unchanged which encourages young Swiss to leave their beautiful land to come and serve the Pope in the Vatican. The love for the Catholic Church remains the same", he said, "to which you bear witness, rather than with words, with your bodies which, thanks to the characteristic uniforms, are easily recognisable at the entrance to the Vatican and to pontifical audiences. Your historic uniforms speak ... of your commitment to serve God by serving the 'servant of His servants'".
Benedict XVI called on the new recruits "above all to assimilate this Christian and ecclesial spirit which is the foundation and the motor of all the activities you will undertake. Always cultivate prayer and spiritual life, also by taking advantage of the crucial presence of your chaplain. Be open, straightforward and loyal. Learn how to appreciate the differences of personality and character that exist among you, because under the uniform each one is a unique and irreplaceable person called by God to serve His Kingdom of love and peace".
The Swiss Guard, said the Pope, "is also a school of life", and he explained to the recruits how during their period of service in the Vatican "many of your predecessors were able to discover their own vocation: to Christian marriage, to the priesthood, to consecrated life. This is a reason to praise God, but also to appreciate your Corps".
The Holy Father concluded by thanking all members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard for the "generosity and dedication with which you work in the service of the Pope. May the Lord reward you and fill you with abundant heavenly fruits".
THIRTY-THREE NEW SWISS GUARDS TO BE SWORN IN TOMORROW
VATICAN CITY, 5 MAY 2008 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. tomorrow May 6 in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, 33 new recruits will be sworn in as members of the Pontifical Swiss Guards in the presence of members of the Roman Curia, diplomatic representatives and civil and religious authorities from Switzerland. Twenty will take their oath in German, 11 in French, one in Italian and one in Romansch.
The Pontifical Swiss Guard was founded by Pope Julius II in 1506 as a stable corps, directly dependant on the Holy See. Its main duties were to guard the person of the Roman Pontiff and the Apostolic Palaces.
The day will start at 7:30 a.m. with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica celebrated by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. for the Swiss Guards, their families and friends. At 9 a.m., Archbishop Fernando Filoni, substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, will confer military decorations on members of the corps, and the commander of the guards will place a laurel wreath at the monument honouring the fallen members of the corps.
May 6, in fact, is the date chosen for the swearing-in ceremony of the new guards because on that day in 1527, 147 members of the Swiss Guards lost their lives during the Sack of Rome protecting Pope Clement VII and the Church from the onslaught of the troops of Emperor Charles V.
To become a guard, one must be a Swiss Catholic male under the age of 30, unmarried, over 174 cm (5' 8") in height and with a professional diploma or high school degree. The candidate must have attended Swiss military school. Guards live inside Vatican City. The minimum term of service is 25 months. GS/OATH-TAKING RECRUITS/...VIS 080505 (310)
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