Pope Leo XIV presided over the swearing-in of 27 Swiss Guards, highlighting the Vatican's efforts to boost its oldest standing army amid recruitment challenges, and emphasizing themes of sacrifice and service.
The Swiss Guards, responsible for protecting the pope for over 500 years, unveiled new uniforms inspired by historic military dress, which will be worn at upcoming galas and dinners, while the traditional uniforms remain unchanged; the new attire symbolizes a link between past and present.
A car driven by someone with apparent psychiatric problems breached a Vatican gate and sped past Swiss Guards into a palace courtyard before the driver was apprehended by police. Vatican gendarmes fired a shot at the speeding car's front tires after it rushed the gate, but the vehicle managed to continue on its way. The driver was about 40 years old and was in a "serious state of psychophysical alteration." It wasn't clear if Pope Francis was anywhere near the incident. The incident was a rare incursion into the city state, much of which is off limits to the general public, especially at night.
A car driven by someone with apparent psychiatric problems rushed through a Vatican gate and sped past Swiss Guards into a palace courtyard before the driver was apprehended by police. Vatican gendarmes fired a shot at the speeding car’s front tires after it rushed the gate, but the vehicle managed to continue on its way. The driver was about 40 years old and was in a “serious state of psychophysical alteration.” It was a rare incursion into the city state, much of which is off limits to the general public, especially at night.
A man with psychiatric problems rammed his car through a Vatican gate, past Swiss Guards, and into a palace courtyard before being apprehended by Vatican gendarmes. The driver was about 40 years old and in a "serious state of psychophysical alteration". The incident occurred at the Santa Anna gate, one of the main entrances to the Vatican City state in the heart of Rome. The Vatican statement said that as soon as the gendarmes sounded the alarm for an incursion, the main gate blocking access to the piazza in front of Francis's hotel was shut.
A car driven by someone with apparent psychiatric problems rushed through a Vatican gate and sped past Swiss Guards into a palace courtyard before the driver was apprehended by police. One of the Gendarmarie inspectors guarding the gate fired at the car's front tires in an attempt to stop it. The driver was arrested after voluntarily exiting the car in the San Damaso courtyard and was subsequently examined by doctors at the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, who found him to be in "a serious state of psychophysical alteration."
A car driven by someone with apparent psychiatric problems rushed through a Vatican gate and sped past Swiss Guards into a palace courtyard before the driver was apprehended by police. Vatican gendarmes fired a shot at the speeding car’s front tires after it rushed the gate, but the vehicle managed to continue on its way. Once the car reached the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the driver got out and was immediately arrested by Vatican gendarmes. The Vatican said the driver was about 40 years old and was in a “serious state of psychophysical alteration."
Pope Francis met with the Swiss Guards ahead of their annual swearing-in ceremony and encouraged the new recruits to use their time of service at the Vatican to deepen their Catholic faith through reading the Scriptures, meditating on spiritual texts, participating in the Sunday Eucharist, and taking the Sacraments. He also thanked the Corps for their diligent and generous collaboration and entrusted them to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary and the Patron Saint Nicholas of Flüe.