Do they not trust their own people? Are they also afraid of religious zealots?
2006-06-08 06:32:51 · 14 answers · asked by jasong25 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Swiss Guards are Catholics- it's a requirement.
They have guarded the Vatican for something like 500 years- a regiment was sent from Switzerland, and many of them died defending the Pope when the Vatican was attacked. To honor them, the Pope instituted them as the official guards of the Vatican.
They are celebrating the 500th anniversary this year....you should be able to Google it and get some neat tidbits.
2006-06-14 11:16:06 · answer #1 · answered by Mommy_to_seven 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The papacy has possessed the body-guardianship of the Catholic Swiss as far back as the fifteenth century. In 1505, at the instance of the Swiss Cardinal Schinner, a treaty was made by Julius II with the two cantons of Zurich and Lucerne, in accordance with which these cantons had to supply constantly 250 men as a body-guard to the pope. Since this date there has always been about the pope a corps of Swiss Guards.
They are responsible for the guarding of the sacred person of the pope and the protection of the Apostolic Palaces, all exits from the palace to the city and the entrance doors to the papal apartments being entrusted to their charge. They have also to take up their position in all pontifical functions in the papal chapels and in all other religious functions both within and without the Apostolic Palaces (the latter are now confined to St. Peter's) at which the pope assists.
2006-06-14 09:55:14 · answer #2 · answered by Daver 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure where you got the impression that the Swiss Guards are not "their own people."
Every member of the Swiss Guard is, and always has been, Catholic.
One of the requirements of the Guard is that they be Catholic men in good standing.
And yes, they really are Swiss.
All Swiss men are required to perform military service for life; all able-bodied men in Switzerland are formally members of that country's army.
As such, it has the greatest pool of eligible Catholic soldiers to draw from.
The Guard are not just there for decoration or ceremony. All of them are not only Swiss soldiers, but specially trained Swiss soldiers. All of them are experts in martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, all types of conventional military weapons, and so on.
2006-06-08 13:42:47 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Swiss guards are ALL practicing Catholics who have served in the Swiss Army.
2006-06-08 13:42:33 · answer #4 · answered by happy_hammer 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They don't want children who visit the Vatican molested on the front steps.
The Swiss guards are normal heterosexuals and don't pose a threat to the kids visiting the Vatican.
2006-06-08 13:36:22 · answer #5 · answered by Left the building 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is a requirement to be catholic in order to join the Swiss Guards. Hence, they are all catholic.
2006-06-08 13:42:22 · answer #6 · answered by Amber911Fire 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Swiss guards are Catholics. It is one strict requirement to become one is to be a baptized Catholic.
2006-06-08 13:35:59 · answer #7 · answered by bloake 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Swiss guards have had a centuries long reputation for loyalty and honesty. They supposedly cannot be bribed or otherwise influenced
2006-06-08 13:36:12 · answer #8 · answered by Vince M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, it's not about lack of trust. It comes as a old tribute that Switzerland had to pay the catholic church after a war
And i guess it remained as a tradition
2006-06-08 13:37:47 · answer #9 · answered by oana 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the Vatican is quality conscious
2006-06-08 13:53:54 · answer #10 · answered by ryscik 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋