Vatican
City, 6 May 2013
(VIS) – Today, in commemoration of the death of 147 Swiss soldiers,
fallen while defending the pontiff during the sack of Rome (1527),
the swearing-in ceremony of the new recruits of that Corps will take
place. This year, 35 new recruits will take the oath at 5:00pm in the
St. Damaso Courtyard before the Holy Father's representative,
Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, substitute of the Secretariat of
State. Cardinals, bishops, members of the Curia, and representatives
of diplomatic delegations to the Holy See will participate at the
ceremony.
The
delegation from the government of the Canton of Zug will be headed by
President Beat Villiger and the President of the Swiss
Conferderation, Ueli Maurer, will also be present at the ceremony.
The oath-swearing day began this morning with the celebration of Mass
at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter at 9:30am, followed by the
commemoration of the 147 fallen guards in the Square of Roman
Protomartyrs.
Pope
Francis, who received the 35 recruits and their families this
morning, addressed them. “On this day,” he said, “you
commemorate the sacrifice of the Swiss Guards who engaged in the
vigorous defence of the Pope during the 'Sack of Rome'. Today you are
not called to this heroic gesture but to another form of sacrifice,
which is also challenging: to put your youthful energies at the
service of the Church and the Pope. To do this you must be strong,
motivated by love, and sustained by your faith in Christ. … I am
certain that the decision to place years of your lives in service of
the Pope is not foreign to your faith. Indeed, the deepest
motivations that have brought you here to Rome originate in your
faith. It is a faith that you have learned in your family, have
cultivated in your parishes, and that also shows that attachment of
Swiss Catholics to the Church. Remember it well: the faith that God
has given you on the day of your Baptism is the most precious
treasure you have! And your mission of service to the Pope and the
Church also finds its source there.”
During
your stay in Rome,” he continued, “you are called upon to bear
witness to your faith with joy and a courteous manner. How important
this is for so many people who pass through Vatican City! But it is
also important for those who work here for the Holy See and for me as
well! Your presence is a sign of the strength and the beauty of the
Gospel that, in every time, calls the young to follow it. I would
also like to invite you to live the time you spend in the 'Eternal
City' in a spirit of genuine brotherhood, helping one another to live
a good Christian life that corresponds to your faith and your mission
in the Church.”
The
Holy Father finished by reminding the new recruits that their
specific ecclesial experience in the Swiss Guard Corps represents “a
privileged opportunity to deepen the knowledge of Christ and his
Gospel and to follow him, almost breathing here in Rome the
catholicity of the Church. Today, when some of you swear to
faithfully carry out your service in the Guard and others renew this
oath in their hearts, think that your service is a testimony to
Christ who calls you to be authentic men and true Christians,
protagonists of your own existence.”
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