An elite and smallest army in the world, responsible for the safety of the Pope and the Vatican City, will be sworn in on Monday, May 6, in the Vatican City. This historic annual event comes after the Swiss Guards on January 22 celebrated five hundred and eighteen years since the unit was founded in Rome. Being one of the oldest and continuously operating military forces in the world, the Swiss guards attract huge crowds during the swearing-in ceremony. Roman locals, visitors, and tourists alike are welcome to witness these highly trained soldiers sworn in.
The event will see thirty-four trained soldiers take a solemn oath of allegiance to the pope in the Santa Damaso courtyard.
While swearing in the Swiss guards will be the main event, this is also the day that Romans commemorate and celebrate the Swiss guards who died on May 6, 1527, while protecting Pope Clement VII, who was under the threat of the Holy Roman Emperor.
The guards aged between nineteen and thirty years with Swiss nationality and with a catholic background have some of the qualifications to become the Pope’s bodyguards. They must also be unmarried and have undergone intensive Swiss training, with a height of at least six feet.
Roman Catholic enthusiasts, Christians, and interested parties can make themselves available to witness this historic event.
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