Pope meets new Swiss Guard recruits and families

(May 7, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday received new recruits to the Pontifical Swiss Guard, thanking them for their generous self-giving in helping him carry out the ministry of Peter. 30 new-recruits, sworn in the previous day in the Vatican, were received on Friday by the Pope along with their families and friends. “The Successor of Peter sees in you a real support and he confides in your vigilance,” the Pope told them, adding, “By entering the Pontifical Swiss Guard, you have become indirect but real partners in the service of Peter in the Church.” He wished that through their service they may become mature as men and Christians, imbibing the rich heritage passed on to them by their predecessors. The Pope wished that their service of the Petrine ministry give them a lively sense of their Catholic faith, together with a more profound perception of human dignity.