At 11:30am today, in the Sala Clementina at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the Corps of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, on the occasion of the swearing in of new Guards who were also accompanied by members of their families.
Mister Commander,
Reverend Chaplain,
Dear Guards,
dear family members and friends of the Pontifical Swiss Guard,
On the occasion of your feast day, I am pleased to meet you and to celebrate with you, and also to express my appreciation and my gratitude for your service, your availability and your faithfulness to the Holy See. A special greeting is offered to the Recruits and to their families, as well as to the Representatives of the Swiss Authorities who are here present. It is good to see young men like you, who dedicate some years of your life to the Church, particularly to the Successor of Peter; this is a unique occasion for your faith to grow, for experiencing the universality of the Church, for the experience of fraternity.
To grow in faith. You are called to live your work as a mission that the Lord himself confides to you; to make the most of the time you will spend here in Rome, in the heart of Christianity, an opportunity to deepen your friendship with Jesus and to journey toward the goal of every Christian life: holiness. For this reason, I invite you to feed your spirits with prayer and to listen to the word of God; I invite you to participate in the celebration of Mass with devotion and to cultivate filial devotion to the Virgin Mary; in this way you will achieve your mission, working each day acriter et fideliter, with courage and with faithfulness.
To experience the universality of the Church. The tombs of the Apostles and the see of the Bishop of Rome are the crossroads for pilgrims from all corners of the world. Therefore, you have the opportunity to touch with your own hands, the maternity of the Church that welcomes her members, a sign of unity in the diversity of peoples. You will meet people of different languages, traditions and cultures, but who are all brothers united by their faith in Jesus Christ. It would be good for you to welcome their Christian witness, and to provide in turn, a serene and joyous witness to the gospel.
To experience fraternity. This too is important: to be attentive to one another, in order to support each other in your daily work and to enrich one another, always remembering that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). You must always strive to enhance community life, sharing moments of happiness and of difficulty, paying attention to those among you who are in difficulty and at times in need of a smile or a gesture of encouragement and friendship. By taking on this attitude, you will also be blessed with diligence and perseverance as you deal with the large and small tasks of daily life, demonstrating a spirit of gentleness and welcome, selflessness and humanity toward all people.
Dear Guards, I hope that you will live your experience intensely, steadfast in faith and generous in charity toward those who you encounter. May our Mother Mary, who we honour especially during the month of May, help you to experience a profound sense of communion with God every day; this communion begins for us believers here on earth and will be fulfilled in heaven. We are in fact called, as Saint Paul reminds us, to be citizens with the saints and family members of God (Eph 2:19). On this day of new beginning, I entrust you, your families, your friends and all of you who have come to Rome, to the intercession of Our Lady, and of your patrons: Saint Martin and Saint Sebastian. I also ask you please to pray for me, and with all my heart, I impart to you the Apostolic Blessing.
Earlier this week, ZENIT interviewed one of the 23 new Swiss Guard recruits:
My name is Mauro Giovanola. I live in Briganzona near Lugano, in the canton of Ticino. I have been here in the Swiss Guard for three months and am ready to take the oath. Joining the Guard was a personal decision which had much support from his family, his parish and his friends. He pointed out that before coming to the Vatican he attended the Recruits’ School in the Swiss city of Fribourg and then decided to come to Rome.
Asked about his faith, Giovanola said he is a Catholic and conscious that the oath is a moral commitment, an obligation we assume and we must respect what we have sworn, otherwise it would make no sense.
The young guard explained that the first mission of the Swiss Guard is to protect the Holy Father, and also to control the entrances and exits of Vatican City, to be a service of order in the Square during the Audiences, to engage in the service of honour, that is, to be a watchman during the Audiences.
The recruit of the world’s smallest and most famous army admitted that as in all schools of recruits, the training has a hard part but there is also a simple part.
About his period of service, he said: I will stay for at least two years, but it might be three or more. What I’ve liked most in this period is being a guard, but also being in the Vatican because I am a Catholic.
In addition, Giovanola has enjoyed the environment in the barracks. I have met many friends and the service in the Square, with the pilgrims who come to attend the Holy Father’s ceremonies, is very moving.
It is a mission that has its dangerous side, he explained: as guards we look like guards, although what is most particular is to work near the Holy Father every day, and although we are not always in direct contact, we attend many ceremonies where he is.
Although we are in a barrack, we have, so to speak, our parish, with Masses on feast days and Sundays, he said. He pointed out that he was aware that every year, at the end of their service, a Swiss Guard decides to become a priest and, smiling, he added but that’s not known until the call comes …
During some of their times on guard, for instance, they can engage in other activities and even pray the Rosary but that, he said, depends on each one.
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to new recruits of the Swiss Guard
Mister Commander,
Reverend Chaplain,
Dear Guards,
dear family members and friends of the Pontifical Swiss Guard,
On the occasion of your feast day, I am pleased to meet you and to celebrate with you, and also to express my appreciation and my gratitude for your service, your availability and your faithfulness to the Holy See. A special greeting is offered to the Recruits and to their families, as well as to the Representatives of the Swiss Authorities who are here present. It is good to see young men like you, who dedicate some years of your life to the Church, particularly to the Successor of Peter; this is a unique occasion for your faith to grow, for experiencing the universality of the Church, for the experience of fraternity.
To grow in faith. You are called to live your work as a mission that the Lord himself confides to you; to make the most of the time you will spend here in Rome, in the heart of Christianity, an opportunity to deepen your friendship with Jesus and to journey toward the goal of every Christian life: holiness. For this reason, I invite you to feed your spirits with prayer and to listen to the word of God; I invite you to participate in the celebration of Mass with devotion and to cultivate filial devotion to the Virgin Mary; in this way you will achieve your mission, working each day acriter et fideliter, with courage and with faithfulness.
To experience the universality of the Church. The tombs of the Apostles and the see of the Bishop of Rome are the crossroads for pilgrims from all corners of the world. Therefore, you have the opportunity to touch with your own hands, the maternity of the Church that welcomes her members, a sign of unity in the diversity of peoples. You will meet people of different languages, traditions and cultures, but who are all brothers united by their faith in Jesus Christ. It would be good for you to welcome their Christian witness, and to provide in turn, a serene and joyous witness to the gospel.
To experience fraternity. This too is important: to be attentive to one another, in order to support each other in your daily work and to enrich one another, always remembering that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). You must always strive to enhance community life, sharing moments of happiness and of difficulty, paying attention to those among you who are in difficulty and at times in need of a smile or a gesture of encouragement and friendship. By taking on this attitude, you will also be blessed with diligence and perseverance as you deal with the large and small tasks of daily life, demonstrating a spirit of gentleness and welcome, selflessness and humanity toward all people.
Dear Guards, I hope that you will live your experience intensely, steadfast in faith and generous in charity toward those who you encounter. May our Mother Mary, who we honour especially during the month of May, help you to experience a profound sense of communion with God every day; this communion begins for us believers here on earth and will be fulfilled in heaven. We are in fact called, as Saint Paul reminds us, to be citizens with the saints and family members of God (Eph 2:19). On this day of new beginning, I entrust you, your families, your friends and all of you who have come to Rome, to the intercession of Our Lady, and of your patrons: Saint Martin and Saint Sebastian. I also ask you please to pray for me, and with all my heart, I impart to you the Apostolic Blessing.
Meet one of the new Swiss Guards
Earlier this week, ZENIT interviewed one of the 23 new Swiss Guard recruits:
My name is Mauro Giovanola. I live in Briganzona near Lugano, in the canton of Ticino. I have been here in the Swiss Guard for three months and am ready to take the oath. Joining the Guard was a personal decision which had much support from his family, his parish and his friends. He pointed out that before coming to the Vatican he attended the Recruits’ School in the Swiss city of Fribourg and then decided to come to Rome.
Asked about his faith, Giovanola said he is a Catholic and conscious that the oath is a moral commitment, an obligation we assume and we must respect what we have sworn, otherwise it would make no sense.
The young guard explained that the first mission of the Swiss Guard is to protect the Holy Father, and also to control the entrances and exits of Vatican City, to be a service of order in the Square during the Audiences, to engage in the service of honour, that is, to be a watchman during the Audiences.
The recruit of the world’s smallest and most famous army admitted that as in all schools of recruits, the training has a hard part but there is also a simple part.
About his period of service, he said: I will stay for at least two years, but it might be three or more. What I’ve liked most in this period is being a guard, but also being in the Vatican because I am a Catholic.
In addition, Giovanola has enjoyed the environment in the barracks. I have met many friends and the service in the Square, with the pilgrims who come to attend the Holy Father’s ceremonies, is very moving.
It is a mission that has its dangerous side, he explained: as guards we look like guards, although what is most particular is to work near the Holy Father every day, and although we are not always in direct contact, we attend many ceremonies where he is.
Although we are in a barrack, we have, so to speak, our parish, with Masses on feast days and Sundays, he said. He pointed out that he was aware that every year, at the end of their service, a Swiss Guard decides to become a priest and, smiling, he added but that’s not known until the call comes …
During some of their times on guard, for instance, they can engage in other activities and even pray the Rosary but that, he said, depends on each one.
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