For more than 500 years, young men of Switzerland have been honored to serve as guardians of the Pope at the Vatican in Rome and Defenders of the Faith. The Pontifical Swiss Guard stands proud today as the last of a long and storied tradition of elite Swiss soldiers, sworn to duty in this most special service far from their families and their homes in Switzerland.
Through the centuries, the Pontifical Swiss Guard has been responsible for the safety of the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and of the security of His residence in Vatican City.
We pay tribute to the sons of the homeland, volunteers all, the noble ones stepping forward from every canton of Switzerland, following in the footsteps of their fathers and ancestors on the path to Rome. The standards are very high. Discipline, motivation and readiness must be exemplary. If they meet all qualifications, they may be granted the honor of wearing the colors of the Guard for a tour of duty in service to the Holy Father.
This Book offers the reader a special inside look behind the walls of Vatican City through the eyes of the Swiss Guardsmen. Stroll through the Vatican Gardens. Walk the hallowed halls of St. Peters. Behold the fine art of the ages at the Vatican Museums. Meet the officers of the Guard and the leaders of the Holy See. Join us at holiday celebrations. Learn of the Swiss Guard legends and traditions handed down over generations, since the days of Michelangelo.
Security and defense duties are paramount for the Guard, but in this Book, there is something more, something special. It is about a simple but essential part of life, not just for the Guard, but for everyone. It is the food. For the Guard, it is also appropriate in a special cookbook such as this to support organizations that campaign for an end to hunger in the world and for fair distribution of food. As Pope Francis tells us, food is a basic human right.
The Swiss Guard is pleased and proud to present this assortment of recipes for meals of all occasions. With this Book, we want to offer a gift: the joy of the culinary arts, the perpetual preparation and presentation of food for our meals, and to acknowledge the responsibility we all have to end world hunger.
And we welcome the reader with the simple Swiss Guard motto that inspires us always in the way we serve and the way we live Acriter et Fideliter Most Courageous and Most Faithful!
INTRODUCTION
A cookbook with the Pontifical Swiss Guard?
What has the one to do with the other? That was my first reaction when I heard the surprising proposal for a Swiss Guard Vatican Cookbook. It wasnt long before I realized that this had the makings of a very special project.
A Swiss Guard Book had been in the works for years, beginning with the concept for a modest publication to promulgate the honor and benefits of Guard service in the Swiss homeland. Past, present and future, all Guardsmen hail from Switzerland and the officers of the Guard are obliged to encourage young Swiss recruits.
The scope of our project changed dramatically in 2012 when David Geisser joined the Guard. With the prodigy chef, we have a young man with remarkable culinary skills and a talent for writing. Twice already, he has lived through that most difficult process, the rendering of a cookbook, succeeding on both occasions. It was David who led the way from Book to Cookbook.
At the same time, we enlisted the services of Katarzyna Artymiak, the stellar Vatican photographer. From the grandest scale to the finest detail, her marvelous photographs bring the Book to life.
There were more welcome contributions from many in the Guard as work progressed: personal stories, holiday memories, first hand historical accounts and more enhancements in words and pictures.
Now, our little brochure has been transformed into a wonderful cookbook and so much more. We make the acquaintance of some prominent personalities of the Holy See, learn the history and legends of the Swiss Guard, enjoy the magnificent art and tour the special places of Vatican City.
The highlight has to be our tributes to the three Holy Fathers we have served in the modern era, and the revelation of delicious Vatican secrets favorite dishes of Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI and Holy Pope John Paul II.
Our Book concludes with table prayers and a simple plea: Join the Swiss Guard in support of One Human Family , Food for All , the campaign to end hunger in the world that Pope Francis has endorsed in the strongest terms. The blessing of good food is meant to be shared. Learn more about Food for All in the final pages of this Book.
And we wish you, dear readers, friends, and friends of the Guard, much joy in reading the stories and discovering the wonders of the Vatican, and especially in the making and partaking of the recipes.
Buon Appetito from the Swiss Guard!
Sergeant Erwin Niederberger
THE SWEARING-IN
It is in solemn memory of the Sacco di Roma, the plundering of Rome by the renegade army of the German Emperor Charles V and the legendary Stand of the Guard in defense of the Holy Father, that the annual swearing-in ceremony takes place on the Sixth of May. With the taking of the oath, right hand raised high in the three-fingered salute that symbolizes the Holy Trinity of the Church, the young men become Swiss Guards, and swear to faithfully serve and honor the Pope and His legitimate successors, and to give of all their strength and even their lives to this pledge.
For some, it is a brief affiliation with the corps, a single 25-month tour of duty before returning to their private lives. For others, service in the Guard becomes a career choice, dedication of 25 years or more to the noble cause. Regardless, active service may come to an end, but in the heart, every man remains always a Guardsman.
At the Vatican, the Sixth of May is one of the most important dates on the calendar every year. There are weeks of preparation for the special events of the day. In addition to the entire complement of the Guard and the families and friends of the newly sworn, there are many important dignitaries from the Church, political and secular officials and others present.
The full oath is read aloud by the Swiss Guard Chaplain:
I swear I will faithfully, loyally, and honorably serve the Supreme Pontiff Francis and His legitimate Successors, and also dedicate myself to Them with all my strength, sacrificing if necessary also my life to defend Them. I assume this same commitment with regard to the Sacred College of Cardinals whenever the See is vacant.