The Swiss Guard, Protective of the Pope, wears a new uniform

The Swiss guards, who have protected the potatoes during the last five centuries, now have a new uniform.

The uniform, mainly made of wool, is the recreation of a historical military clothing to wear in galas and other important dinners and will not replace the iconic uniforms of “great gala” of red, orange and blue color by which the guards are famous.

The garments, manufactured in Switzerland, were financed by a benefactor and cost 2000 euros (about $ 2300) each. According to the Swiss guard commander, Christoph Graf, they represent “a link between the present and the past.”

The 135 smallest but older army guards in the world look the new uniforms for the first time at a dinner tonight, before the night before the October 4 ceremony to swear this year’s new recruits.

The swear ceremony, in which the new guards promise to protect the Pope, if necessary with their lives, was postponed from the traditional date of May 6 due to the coincidence of the conclave that chose Pope Leo XIV, who is expected to attend.

On May 6, the battle of 1527 known as the looting of Rome is commemorated, in which 147 guards lost their lives defending Pope Clemente VII of the Mutinian Army of the Holy Roman Empire Germanic.

It is the most significant and deadly event in the history of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, established by Pope Julio II in 1506 and responsible for the security of the Vatican together with the Vatican Gendarmes.

The new gala uniform presented on Thursday is an update of the one used from the end of the 19th century until 1976. In 2015, the Swiss Guard reintroduced a version of the same uniform, but the last interpretation, according to Graf, “is more faithful to our tradition.”

Pope León thanks the new recruits

Leo XIV met with the recruits and their families at the Apostolic Palace on October 3, before the swearing ceremony.

“From the first steps of my pontificate, dear Swiss guards, I have been able to count on his faithful service,” he said. “Pedro’s successor can fulfill his mission at the service of the Church and the world with the certainty that they ensure their safety.”

The Holy Father encouraged the new guards to be inspired by the stories of the first Christian martyrs in Rome to deepen their relationship with Jesus and cultivate his inner life “in the midst of the frenzy of our society.”

The Swiss president, Karin Keller-Sutter, who will attend the ceremony, also had a private audience with Pope León this morning.

Swear ceremony

The ceremony, which will take place in the courtyard of San Dámaso del Vaticano on October 4, will be preceded by a mass. The previous day is also carried out a prayer service and a banquet of awards. During the two days, representatives of the Swiss army, the Swiss government and the Swiss Episcopal Conference attend. Old guards, family and friends of the new recruits will also participate.

Press and Guardian Chief Eliah Cinotti said that 4,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony, during which the recruits swear “serve faithfully and honorably to the reigning pontiff and their legitimate successors, to dedicate myself to them with all my strength, sacrificing, if necessary, even my life in their defense.”

During the one -hour event, enlivened by the music and drums of the band of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, each new guard places its left hand on the flag of the Swiss Guard while lifting its right hand with three open fingers as a sign of its faith in the Holy Trinity.

Then he proclaims outdoors: “I, alabardero (name), I swear to observe faithful, loyal and honorably everything that at this moment was read. That God and our patrons saints assist me!”

Cinotti told journalists this week that 27 new guards in 2025 is an “acceptable” figure, but that they are working continuously to recruit more, even visiting Swiss military bases and attending employment fairs.

With regard to papal security, since the choice of Pope Leo XIII, the guards have noticed “an increase in threw objects” to the Pope, he said, and “bothers us a little.”

But, Cinotti added, although “it is very difficult to anticipate the launch of an object”, the guards are trained to detect potentially dangerous articles, most of which are confiscated in security before entering the Plaza de San Pedro.

Since the Covid-19 Pandemia, there has also been an increase in what he called “incivility”, including isolated security threats, mostly from people under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“Our weapon is the word,” he said, emphasizing that the guards work to avoid having to use lethal force, although he acknowledged, “without revealing all our secrets,” they are also armed.

“That is our job”

The biggest challenge for a recruit, said Cinotti, is “to put aside his life and dedicate himself to a bigger cause than himself.”

Darío, 25, is one of the new guards who will take an oath to protect the Pope on October 4. The Swiss Guard refused to give the full name of the recruit claiming security reasons. Now, six months after having started his service, he described him as an “incredible experience.”

Darío, who began his work just a few weeks before the death of Pope Francis, said that the conclave and the jubilee year have been very intense moments for the Pontifical Swiss Guard. “What we have lived this year, other guards have not lived in all their service time,” he said.

“What surprised me the most was the effect that the Pope has had on people, seeing people moved to see him,” Darío told CNA – Ewtn News in English – whose father also served in the Swiss Guard. “And you simply stay there, protecting the Pope, but you see how much respect people inspire.”

You can see a live broadcast of the Swiss Guard sweep in the Vatican on October 4 at 11 am et here:

Translated and adapted by ACI Press, originally published in CNA