Skip to content

What does the Swiss Guard do while Pope Francis is in the hospital?

What do the Swiss Guards do when the Holy Father is outside the Vatican walls, as is the case with Pope Francis in the hospital?

The mission of the Swiss Guard, the oldest military corps in the world, is to ensure the security of the pope and protect the cardinals when the chair of Peter is vacant. But what happens when the Holy Father is outside the Vatican walls, as is the case now with Pope Francis in the hospital?

Currently, the Swiss Guard is led by Col. Christoph Graf, and its members are responsible for guarding access to Vatican territory, accompanying the pope on his apostolic journeys, and maintaining order and protocol during papal ceremonies and state receptions.

March 10 marks 25 days since Pope Francis was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome. On Feb. 14, he left St. Martha’s House where he normally resides, suffering from bronchitis that later developed into double pneumonia.

During these weeks, despite the absence of the pope, the Swiss Guards have not left their posts. Eliah Cinotti, the head of press office of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, confirmed to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that “there are no changes in the ordinary service.”

However, he pointed out that because Pope Francis “is not physically present” in the Vatican, “we have a decrease in extraordinary services, such as general audiences, receptions for presidents or ambassadors, or Masses.”

“Despite this, we support some events in the Vatican when necessary, such as [on Sunday] when we were present at the Mass for the Jubilee of Volunteers, even though the Holy Father was unable to participate,” he explained.

During his latest meeting with the Swiss Guard at the Vatican, Pope Francis highlighted the value of its members marrying, having a family and children, emphasizing the importance of family life in their service.

“I like the fact that the guards get married; I like that they have children, that they have a family. This is very important, very important. This aspect has become very important, since the number of guards married with children has increased, and the well-being of families is of fundamental importance for the Church and society,” he said on Jan. 18 at the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

Cinotti emphasized that the Swiss Guard “prays and trusts that our Holy Father will recover soon so he can return to the Vatican as soon as possible.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today

Share

Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican

Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.

More news related to this article

Next World Youth Day to be in South Korea in 2027

The next World Youth Day will be held in Seoul, South Korea in 2027, Pope Francis announced at

BREAKING: Vatican court convicts Cardinal Becciu, sentences him to 5 years in jail for embezzling funds

Judges delivered a verdict in the Vatican’s financial corruption trial on Saturday sentencing Cardinal Angelo Becciu to more than five years in prison and convicting five other defendants to similar jail sentences.

Farewell to Wanda Półtawska, the “Little Sister” of Saint John Paul II

A lifelong friendship cemented by a miracle from Padre Pio

Pope Francis’ in-flight press conference: God accompanies people with same-sex attraction

On his return flight from South Sudan on Sunday, Pope Francis said that God loves and accompanies people

The Papal Vestments and Symbols of Pope Leo XIV: Tradition, Relics, and Meaning Explained

Pope Leo XIV’s first appearance revealed the rich symbolism of papal vestments, from the Room of Tears to the white cassock, relic-filled pectoral cross, pallium, Ferula, and Fisherman’s Ring.

Pope Francis: Avarice is a ‘Sickness of the Heart, Not of the Wallet’

In his Wednesday general audience, Pope Francis said the preoccupation with the accumulation of material goods reflects a greater “pathological accumulation.”

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTNit