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Why Is The Vatican Protected By Swiss Guards?
Why not Roman guards? Or Italian? Or a rotating Catholic task force?
The Vatican is home to many pieces of history, including relics, records, and images of the past. One of the most unique holdovers from a bygone era is the existence of the Swiss Guard. The Swiss Guard is an honor guard tasked with protecting the pope and the Holy See. Vatican City technically has no official military, but the ecclesiastical jurisdiction administered by the pope does. The Swiss Guard is the most well-known piece of this papal military group.
The Swiss guard stands out due to its flamboyant colors and striped uniforms. The guards look like they were plucked out of Renaissance Europe, and in a way, they were. They can still be seen marching around Vatican City and in the vicinity of the pope.
After Pope John Paul II was nearly assassinated, the Swiss Guards ramped up their modern training and became an elite force similar to the Secret Service. All Swiss Guardsmen must be unmarried Catholics from Switzerland between the ages of 18 and 30. Each recruit undergoes training with the Swiss military before being deployed to the Vatican for duty.
The pope has been guarded by Swiss guards for over 500 years. But why Swiss guards? Why not a multinational guard?
