(Alessandro Di Meo/Keystone) Every May, a new batch of young Swiss Roman Catholic soldiers swears allegiance to the Pope. But in recent years their numbers have been dwindling. What does the future hold for the Swiss Guards?
For over half a millennium (they were founded in 1506), the special unit has acted as personal protectors of God’s representative on earth.
This week, 23 more young soldiers were sworn in on May 6, a symbolic date that commemorates the 1527 sack of Rome.But much has changed over the past 500 years, both in Switzerland and the Vatican. Here’s what it takes to […]
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