Why is it that you have to be swiss to be a swiss guard? im a lil offended by that. Apparantly the crazy uniforms that the swiss guards wear are worn because they are the original uniforms created by Michelangelo...but what about the similarly strange garb worn by priests and in particular the Pope? i know what the colors mean, but what is the signifigance of the robe, the dress, even the collar? in reading the archives i've learned the pope wears the funny pope hat bc it signifies that he is the guy who is the head of the church and that he lives in rome. that doesnt explain the significance of it though, why did it morph through the ages? at one time i heard it had horns on it...i cant help but think thats strange. anyway, any clarity would help

thanks a million

God is the Man- Max

-- Maximillian (aintgotone@sike.com), July 31, 2004

Answers

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-- (bump@bump.bump), July 31, 2004.

Max, the garb worn by the Swiss Guards, priests and the Pope, did not seem “crazy” or “strange” when it was first worn. It only seems so now because our clothing fashions have changed while they have kept the same clothes because of tradition. I think some Catholic-hating bigot is pulling your leg about the supposed “horns” on the Pope’s hat. (Horns are a symbol of the Devil.) The Pope's hat is a mitre worn by all bishops. It doesn't signify that he lives in Rome nor that he is head of the Church. Popes used to be formally crowned with a triple crown, but modern popes have abandoned this, as they are no longer monarchs of the temporal world (except of the tiny Vatican state).

Why do you have to be Swiss to be a Swiss Guard? You may as well ask why do you have to be British to be a British Grenadier? The Swiss Guard began when a group of loyal Catholic Swiss soldiers went to Rome to protect the Pope when he was under attack. Then as now the Swiss had a reputation for political neutrality, which remains important for the Church. To be eligible to join the Swiss Guard you have to be a Swiss citizen, a confirmed practising Catholic with good moral standards, and above a certain height. Swiss Guards may be of any race.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), August 01, 2004.

The mitre (bishop's hat) comes from the ancient tradition that the Bishop is teacher of the flock - and brings out of his "store house" the old and the new (to paraphrase Our Lord's parable). Look at any typical representation of the 10 commandments - two bullet-like tablets form the "law". Fair enough. The early Christians imagined that the Old Testament and New Testament were like two tablets - so pairing them together in a hat produced what looks like a mitre.

Secondly, Steve is right about the current Swiss Guard. Their origin is this: in the 1400's Switzerland sent troops to protect the Papal States - and when an army of Germans stormed Rome (sacking, pillaging and burning it in the 1500's) a battalion of Swiss Guards protected the Pope as he made his retreat to the castle of St'Angel (about a half mile away from the Vatican) where he rode out the seige.

Incidentally those German troops sacked the Vatican's so- called "Secret archives" (as did the troops of Napoleon 2 centuries later), meaning that had there been any deep dark secrets including the ark of the covenant, it would have been found.

In honor of the guards who lost their lives, subsequent Popes have always had a small battalion of Swiss guarding the Vatican.

Currently there are about 120 Swiss Guards. All served first in the Swiss Army. Their weapons consist of Swords and the Halberd ( a type of spear/battle axe) which may look ceremonial but are actually quite sharp. They also normally pack a Beretta 9mm pistol under the colorful uniforms and if need be can break out the FN Nato 5.56mm rifles.

So yes, they look cool but they really are guards. And yes, they really work - there have been multiple assassination attempts against the Pope - most of which aren't reported because thankfully the Guards have stopped the would-be assassins before they get close enough to harm anyone.

I believe their tour of duty is 2 years long and can be renewed. Most are young single men.

-- Joe (joestong@yahoo.com), August 02, 2004.

Current profile

While much of the work of the present day guards is ceremonial, they are responsible for the security at the Apostolic Palace, the papal apartment and the four main entrances to the Vatican. They are also in charge of the pontiff's physical safety when he travels outside the city state.

The Swiss Guard, the world's smallest and perhaps most colorful army, has been the chief protectors of the pontiff. Clad in Renaissance helmets and blue, red and yellow tunics (the colors of the Medici family) that are said to have been designed by Michelangelo. For routine work, the guards wear blue uniforms and berets.

The Swiss Guard currently consists of a total of 100 men: 4 officials, 1 chaplain, 23 noncommissioned officers, 70 halbardiers, and 2 drummers. The halbard is the traditional weapon carried by Swiss Guards. The members of the Swiss Guard reside in a barrack in Vatican City. They serve for two years, with the possibility of extending the period to a maximum of 25 years. During this period they receive training in self-defence, attend shooting practice, take course in Italian and study the organizational structure of the Vatican. At the end of the first year they must take a very thorough exam.

Guard recruits must be Roman Catholic men of Swiss nationality who are single, under 30 years old and stand at least 5-feet, 8-inches tall. Guards need to have completed their initial military training in the Swiss Armed Forces, and obtained a certificate of good conduct from an ecclesiastical and a civil authority.

The Swiss Guard is all that is left of a pontifical military corps that medieval popes once fielded to exert temporal power on a part of the Italian peninsula - power that is now restricted to the 108 acres of Vatican City.

Historical development

The Swiss Guard was founded in 1505 by Pope Julius II as a stable and disciplined corps of regular Swiss soldiers depending directly on the Holy See, for the guarding of the person of the Roman Pontiff and the Apostolic Palaces. January 21, 1506, is considered the official founding when 150 Swiss soldiers arrived in Rome and received the solemn blessing of Pope Julius II upon their arrival in St. Peter's Square.

In the early years, the corps was disbanded several times, and the guards had to retire, especially during the imprisonment or exile of the Popes.

During the Sack of Rome on May 6, 1527, when heroically fighting against the troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, 147 Swiss Guards died alongside then-commander Kaspar Roist, while 42 were saved with Clement Vll (Giulio de' Medici) in Castle San Angelo.

On May 6 of each year, in commemoration of this historical date, the newly recruited members of the Swiss Guard are sworn in the San Damasco Courtyard in the Vatican, in four different languages - German, French, Italian and Ladino - according to their canton of origin. As they take their oath promising fidelity to the Pope and the Church, the soldiers raise three fingers of their right hand, symbolizing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, while placing their left hand on the flag of the Swiss Guard Corps. This banner is formed by three shields representing the current Pope, the founder of the Swiss Guard, Julius II, and the commander.

Sources: Vatican Information Service; L'Osservatore Romano, April 30, 1990; The Washington Post, May 5,1998

More details on this topic: http://www.vatican.va

-- - (David@excite.com), August 07, 2004.

Thanks David,

That was interesting.

-- Jim (furst@flash.net), August 07, 2004.