Fun Catholic Facts Follow up

My fun catholic fact from yesterday sparked a couple of questions…I will do my best to cover some of the topics.  

There are only 110 Swiss guardsmen in total: A Commandant (currently Christoph Graf; Francis fired the previous commandant for being to ‘militaristic’), four officers, six sergeants, a priest, one staff sergeant, ten corporals, and ten vice corporals. The remaining seventy-seven guards are halberdiers: 

They get 30 days off a year, that’s one Sunday every 2 weeks.   

They get paid 1500 Euros (about $1700)tax free per month plus room and board. 

They are trained in multiple small arms not just halberds spears and swords.  They know modern warfare they are real elite soldiers and have real modern weapons to protect the Pope see below.  

Each guardsman can speak several languages even so, they are not permitted to interact with the general public for 7 months after beginning service.  

In the 15^th century, Pope Sixtus IV began using Swiss mercenaries against his ongoing conflict with the local petty monarchs.  His pact with the Swiss Confederacy was renewed by his successors, barracks were built and the guard grew to what it is today.   

Off duty they have a soccer team, a band and retired guards have an alumni association.   

Requirements for becoming a Swiss Guard

Not everyone can aspire to become a Swiss Guard. Each applicant must meet a litany of rigorous requirements. An applicant:

1.      Must be male. Women are not permitted to apply

2.      Must be Roman Catholic

3.      Must be a citizen of Switzerland

4.      Must be at least 1.74 meters tall

5.      Must be between 19 and 30 years of age. However, a retire guard, who is over 30, may be able to return in exceptional cases.

6.      Must be single. However, a guard may be permitted to marry if he is over 25 years of age, has already completed at least 3 years in service, is at least of a Corporal rank, and commits to serve for an additional 3 years

7.      Must have a high school degree or a professional diploma

8.      Must have completed service with the Swiss army, (usually from an elite unit, like the mountaineer or Marine divisions). After getting enlisted, they undergo further training, especially in unarmed combat techniques and in countering terrorist attacks. 

9.      Must commit a minimum of 2 years

10. Must be of great moral and ethical upstanding

The Swiss Guard has  a reputation for self-sacrifice and bravery, as demonstrated during the sack of Rome in 1527, when all but 42 of the 189 guardsmen died defending Pope Clement VII. The Swiss Guards prepared for similar self-sacrifice during World War II, when the vastly outnumbered guardsmen took up defensive positions as German forces rolled into Rome; Adolf Hitler, however, chose not to attack the Vatican.