Most of the readers of this column would probably be familiar with the young men in red, yellow and blue uniforms marching around parts of the city of Rome. They carry with them a halberd, which is a ...

Forty new Swiss Guards were sworn in at the Vatican on Saturday, the latest halberd-clutching soldiers of the pope to serve a tradition stretching back 500 years. The halberds -- a traditional steel ...

The mostly wool military-dress uniform will not replace the iconic red, orange and blue uniforms for which the guards are famous. Swiss Guards model the new military dress uniform in a courtyard of ...

The answer to why the guards are the pope’s chosen protectors lies in their Renaissance-style uniform.

A Swiss Guard stands at attention during a Mass marking the conclusion of the Jubilee of the World of Volunteering in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 9, 2025. Credit: CNS photo/Pablo Esparza ...

Forty new Swiss Guards were sworn in at the Vatican on Saturday, the latest halberd-clutching soldiers of the pope to serve a tradition stretching back 500 years. Swiss guards join a long line of ...