New recruits to the Pontifical Swiss Guard swore loyalty to Pope Leo XIV on 6 May, during a ceremony in Vatican City. 28 new halberdiers took their oath in the presence of the Pope, the first time in over 50 years that a pontiff has personally presided over the swearing-in.
The ceremony commemorates the Sack of Rome in 1527, when 147 Swiss Guards died defending Pope Clement VII. During the oath, each recruit placed their hand on the Guard's flag and swore loyalty in their native language, pledging to defend the Pope and his legitimate successors even at the cost of their own lives.
