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.
GSP/OATH-TAKING RECRUITS/... VIS 20080505 (310)
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