Pope thanks Swiss Guard for service, as 28 new members sworn in
May 07, 2026
Twenty-eight new members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard were sworn in during a ceremony in Paul VI Audience Hall on May 6 (video).
“The gesture you have made attests to a commitment to fidelity, animated by youthful enthusiasm and founded on faith in God and love for the Church,” Pope Leo said in his brief remarks, as he entrusted the Guardsmen to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Pope Julius II founded the Swiss Guard in 1506. New members are traditionally sworn in on May 6; on that day in 1527, during the Sack of Rome, 147 Swiss Guards died while defending Pope Clement XII.
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Further information:
- Oath of the Pontifical Swiss Guards (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 5/6/26)
- As 28 recruits sworn in, Pope thanks Swiss Guard for their service (Vatican News, 5/6/26)
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