Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Pope presides over special Mass marking 500th anniversary of Swiss Guards

VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI presides special Mass for the 5th Centenary of the Foundation of the Pontifical Swiss Guard: “To be a Swiss Guard means to be loyal without reserve to Christ and the Church and ready to give one’s life for this”

Vatican City (Fides Service) - This morning, May 6th 2006, in St Peter’s Basilica Pope Benedict XVI presided a special concelebration of Mass to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. In his homily the Pope said “on 22 January 500 years ago the first 150 Guards arrived in Rome called by Pope Julius II to enter his service in the Apostolic Service. That selected corps was soon called to prove its loyalty to the Pontiff: in 1527 Rome was attacked and looted and on 6 May, 147 Swiss Guards fell while defending Pope Clement VII, and the remaining 42 escorted him to safety in Castel Sant’Angelo”. To recall these events so distant in time, the Holy Father said, means first of all to “render honour the Corps of the Swiss Guard, reconfirmed in its mission again and again”, but it means above all to learn from these events in the light of the Word of God.
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Pope Thanks Swiss Guards for Service
Special Mass Marks 500th Anniversary of Corps

VATICAN CITY, MAY 7, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI thanked the Swiss Guards for 500 years of service and invited them to continue their mission with "courage and fidelity."

The Pope said this Saturday during a Mass commemorating the arrival in Rome 500 years ago of the first 150 Swiss Guards, requested by Pope Julius II.

Also remembered were the 147 guards killed while defending Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome, May 6, 1527.
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 9:10 AM