During the private audience on Saturday, Pope Francis also encouraged the guardsmen to start families.
Keystone-SDA
During a private audience on Saturday, Pope Francis praised the Swiss Guards for their “great patience” with pilgrims who visit the Vatican. “It takes patience, and the guardsmen have it. And that is the beauty of them: they repeat, they explain – that is great patience”, he said.
The work of the Swiss Guards has changed a lot over time, but their duty will always be to protect the Pope, said the pontiff during a private audience at the Foundation of the Pontifical Swiss Guard on Saturday. Welcoming the many pilgrims who visit from all parts of the world is also part of their duties.
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During the private audience, Pope Francis also encouraged the guardsmen to start families. “I like it when the Guards get married,” he said. “I like it when they have children, when they have a family. That’s very important.”
Recently, the number of married Guardsmen with children has increased. Guardsmen must be single when they join the guard. They are only allowed to marry from the age of 25 and must have served for five years beforehand.
The Swiss Guards have been posted at the Vatican since 1506 and are responsible for the security of the Pope and his residence. The guardsmen in their traditional Renaissance uniforms also perform honorary duties during audiences, visits, masses and guard duty. Pope Francis increased the number of Swiss Guards from 110 to 135 in 2018.
Translated from German with DeepL/gw
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