[Culturechat] Swiss Guard

[Vance Roy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/18/international/europe/18swiss.html?hp

The above NYT article has a lot about this 500 year old institution.

I know a former Swiss guard who is retired from Swissair and lives in 
Luzern. He found his Vatican experience interesting in that he was 
within arm's reach of the pope and the dignitaries that paid visits to 
the Vatican. Apparently, being a Swiss guard is a real feather in a 
good catholic boy's cap.

An Idyller who is a priest had an amusing story about his days in the 
Vatican and the Swiss Guard. It seems that he and another priest wanted 
to see how close they could get to the pope's apartments and possibly 
get inside. They got into the elevator on the way up to the apartments. 
It stopped and a cardinal got on. He asked what they were doing, to 
which they replied that they were going to the museum (apparently on 
the same floor as the pope). The cardinal was satisfied and said 
goodbye as he exited the elevator. The priests got off and turned right 
toward the pope's quarters instead of to the left toward the museum. 
Thereupon, they came face to face with a Swiss guard, dressed in 
military fatigues and gear, and also holding an Uzi machine gun aimed 
at them. The priests did a 180 degree turn and went to the museum.

Vance Roy
gigli.saw@dplanet.ch
http://homepage.mac.com/fredch

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day.  Teach a man to fish, and 
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Maxine