Ceremonies at the Vatican mark the 500th anniversary of the Papal Swiss Guard.
Personal protection to the Pontiff and to the Vatican City State is provided by the Swiss Guard, one of the oldest, smallest and most colourful armies in the world.
With just 110 members, the Swiss Guard formed rank in front of the Basilica and the Papal Palace to mark the arrival of the first Swiss Guards on 22 January 1506. The then Pope Julius II hired a company of Swiss mercenaries to protect him as his personal bodyguard. Just over twenty years later, 147 guards were killed protecting the Pope from the troops of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Today, troops still pledge to defend the Pope with their lives.
The criteria required for membership of the Swiss Guard are strict. Guards must be Swiss, male, Catholic and single. Their daily routine includes guarding entrances to the Vatican and the Pope's apartment. They are also involved in ceremonies for visiting dignitaries.
Their most important work is in plain clothes, armed with automatic pistols, providing personal protection for the Pope here and on visits abroad.
Colonel Elmar Mader, Commander of the Swiss Guard, recalls that during the 26 year reign of John Paul II, there were at least twenty planned threats on his life.
Marking 500 years, a special mass was held at the Sistine Chapel, celebrated by the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano. This was followed by prayers for the Swiss Guard by Pope Benedict XVI.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 22 January 2006. The reporter is Sean Whelan.
