The Pontifical Swiss Guard said it was deeply saddened by the death on Saturday of former pope Benedict XVI, saying it was a great honour to have served him throughout his papacy.

The Swiss Guards are the pope's colourfully-dressed personal protection force.

"It was with great sadness that we heard the news of the death of our Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI," the Pontifical Swiss Guard said.

"It was a great honour for all the guardsmen who served during his eight years as head of the Catholic Church to be able to serve him. Requiem."

The Swiss Guards were created in 1506 by pope Julius II.

They are a popular tourist magnet at the Vatican, with their showy yellow, red and blue uniforms, halberds -- an axe-like weapon -- and metal helmets with ostrich plumage.

Swiss Guards must all be men between 19 and 30 years old and at least 1.74 metres (5.7 feet) tall. They must be practising Roman Catholics, Swiss, and unmarried at the time of signing up.

The 135 guards commit to safeguarding the pope for at least 26 months.

Former pope Benedict died at the age of 95, almost a decade after he became the first pontiff to resign in six centuries.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Philippines boosts military in disputed sea after Chinese 'encroachment'
Manila (AFP) Dec 22, 2022
The Philippines ordered its military to boost their presence in the South China Sea on Thursday, citing a "threat" to a garrison in the disputed waterway after nearby Chinese "activities". It comes two days after media reported that Beijing has begun reclaiming more land in the contested Spratly Islands, a major archipelago in the South China Sea that hosts military installations by a number of countries. "Any encroachment in the West Philippine Sea or reclamation on the features therein is a th ... read more