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Updated · The Associated Press · May 7Recruits join Pontifical Swiss Guard in Vatican swearing-in ceremony
12 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 7
- Pope Leo XIV presided over the May 6 ceremony in Vatican City as the new guards donned the corps' yellow, blue and red uniforms.
- The recruits pledged to defend and serve the pope, formally entering the Vatican force known as the world's oldest standing army.
- The latest report was presented as an AP photo gallery highlighting preparations and the oath-taking ceremony for the new members.
Beyond the Renaissance uniforms, what elite anti-terrorism training makes the Pope's personal army a modern protective force? Is the Vatican's Swiss Guard truly the world's oldest army, or is this a carefully constructed historical myth?