(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 05.03.2025).- May 6, a date forever etched into the legacy of the Vatican’s oldest military corps, will once again summon the echo of a centuries-old sacrifice — this year, however, with an unprecedented silence at its heart.
In 2025, the Pontifical Swiss Guard will commemorate the 147 soldiers who perished defending Pope Clement VII during the brutal Sack of Rome in 1527. Traditionally observed with solemn ceremony and the colorful flourish of new recruits swearing loyalty to the Holy Father, this year’s remembrance will unfold in an atmosphere shaped by absence: the Vatican remains without a pope.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
With the Holy See in sede vacante, the highly choreographed public rituals normally associated with the Guard’s annual oath ceremony have been suspended. Instead, a private memorial will take place within the fortified walls of the Swiss Guard barracks, shielded from cameras and crowds, focusing solely on the essence of their enduring mission — fidelity, service, and sacrifice.
At 11 a.m., a floral tribute will be placed at the Guard’s war memorial, a granite testament to centuries of loyal service to the papacy. The monument itself, nestled in the inner courtyard of the barracks, stands not only as a marker of death but as a symbol of the unbroken line of commitment stretching from Renaissance battlefields to the modern Vatican.
Following the tribute, Colonel Christoph Graf, the longstanding commander of the corps, is expected to deliver remarks reflecting on the gravity of the day — one that, for his troops, transcends ceremony and enters the realm of sacred memory. His speech will honor the courage of the 147 young Swiss soldiers who chose to form a human shield around the pope nearly 500 years ago, allowing him to escape to safety while they were cut down by imperial forces.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Under normal circumstances, May 6 is also the day on which new recruits — all young Catholic men of Swiss nationality — raise their hands and swear to protect the Pope, even at the cost of their lives. The oath, delivered before Vatican dignitaries and Swiss officials, is as much a rite of passage as it is a declaration of loyalty. This year, that powerful moment will not occur. The absence of a pope has necessarily delayed the swearing-in, a decision that underscores the unique ecclesial gap left by the death of Pope Francis and the yet-to-be-elected successor.
Still, the mission of the Swiss Guard does not cease in papal interregnum. Though their ceremonial duties may be reduced, their role in safeguarding Vatican City remains active and vigilant. For a corps born in a time of upheaval, whose very foundation was forged in the crucible of war and papal vulnerability, the absence of a pontiff is not a disruption — it is a call to continuity.
Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
