On May 6, Pope Francis held a private audience with the 34 new recruits who will be sworn into the Swiss Guard on Tuesday, along with their families.
The Pope encouraged the recruits to maintain good relationships with their colleagues and with others during their terms at the Vatican. “Good relationships are the main path for our human and Christian growth and maturation,” he said. The Pope also praised the Swiss Guard for “generous and diligent” service.
New members of the Swiss Guard are traditionally sworn in on May 6, the anniversary of the day in 1527 when 147 members of the unit died in defense of Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome.
