Wanted Swiss guard «Daily Capital of Mar del Plata

by Cristina Cabrejas

VATICAN CITY.- The Swiss Guard, the smallest and oldest army in the world, responsible for the safety of the pope for over 500 years, adapts to the times with the use of social networks, a website and guided tours to attract young people to the shortage of new recruits.

On Monday, when the ceremony of the oath of the new recruits is celebrated every May 6 to commemorate the day of 1527 when 147 guards died to protect Clement VI during the looting of Rome by the troops of the Emperor Charles V The new Swiss guards will participate in more than 30 of previous years.

And it is that the Swiss Guard, instituted by Julius II in 1506, while this pope had negotiated with Swiss cantons the sending of volunteers to constitute a stable contingent in Rome which would serve for the defense of his person and his residence , does not attract younger Swiss.

Last year, Pope Francis authorized the pbadage of 110 current soldiers to 135 to cover the growing needs of this army, but the commander of the Swiss Guard, Christoph Graf, acknowledged at a conference press that arrival of recruits "it will take 4 or 5 years to reach this number".

"It's our big challenge because every year we have to replace about a third of the body," he said with concern.

For this reason, the Swiss Guard is renewed and has opened accounts on social networks to show its daily activity. For some weeks now, she has an Internet portal to tell her interesting story and where to find all the information and modules to become a soldier. from the pope

In addition, three-day visits were organized so that young people could visit the facilities and know what it means to be a Swiss goalkeeper and experience "emotions", Graf added, believing that he belonged to this body.

Show its attractiveness. a series of videos was also produced which, in the form of a documentary, tells the Army Daily, revealing its training centers at the monitoring center.

Because not everything is uniform and the halberds that millions of Romans and tourists see on their arrival at the Vatican, emphasizes the commander, who explains that they ensure the safety of the pope during of all his travels, in the palace of the popes or in his residence.

The new technology has also reached this small army that seems steeped in time, because now the heavy wrought iron helmets worn during ceremonies have been replaced by a much lighter PVC plastic and manufactured with 3D printers.

Another project is to completely rebuild the old barracks as part of a project for which a foundation was created and charged with collecting the 50 million euros donations that will serve to give better spaces to the pope's army.

Graf explains that the big problem with the lack of recruits is that the Swiss economy is doing very well, that there is no unemployment and that there is also less and less of believers.

Who wants to be a Swiss goalkeeper and earn 1,500 euros compared to the wages paid in Switzerland? "It's a calling," says Graf, who points out that soldiers who arrive in Rome can not do it for money, but for a strong desire to defend the pope.

Although the methods of communication change as well as the technology used for security, the pope's army is still like the old.

The requirements are more or less the same as 500 years ago: to be between the ages of 19 and 30, to be a practicing Catholic, to be a Swiss citizen, single, to be over 1.74, to be in good health and to be in good health. irreproachable reputation.

After months of preparation, recruits commit to joining the military for at least 26 months.

Robi Kurkovic has just turned 22 and comes from the canton of Ticino, where he speaks Italian, and will be one of 23 who will swear on Monday. It is already clear that he will come back after this experience in his country.

He explains that he has become a Swiss guard who follows in the footsteps of friends who have already experienced this experience. What attracts him most, what will be his duty is "to have the honor to protect the pope" and "to be able to leave Switzerland to make a great experience."

Swiss Guard officials will continue to try to convince young people in their country, also speaking in schools. But for the moment, Major Graf's ditches, there is no question of incorporating women into the Swiss Guard.

EFE