Commemoration of the Sack of Rome broadcast on livestream

In memory of the 147 Swiss Guards, who fell during the Sack of Rome (Sack of Rome, 6 May 1527) in defence of the reigning Pope Clement VII, a wreath will be laid in the “Piazzale dei Protomartiri Romani” on 6 May 2020. The commemoration precedes the Holy Mass that will be celebrated in the Church of Santa Maria in the Teutonic Cemetery.

Both events will be broadcast live on livestream on the website www.guardiasvizzera.ch.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the oath of the Swiss Pontifical Guard, which according to tradition should have been taken on 6 May, has been postponed to 4 October 2020.

The deposition of the crown, which normally involves the participation of guests of honour and family members, will be conducted in a reserved and restricted manner, respecting the rules of hygiene and safety that apply in Vatican City State.

Prize-giving

After the commemorative Mass, celebrated by the advisor to the Secretary of State, Msgr. Luigi Roberto Cona, in the Church of Santa Maria della Pietà in the Teutonic Cemetery, and the laying of the wreath, the guards present will be decorated with awards for their long and faithful service to the Holy See. The substitute for the Secretary of State, Monsignor Edgar Peña Parra, will preside over the ceremony.

In this particular situation, the Guards who were to take the oath will not be physically present, as in previous years, but will each be represented by their own national language.

The commemoration will be broadcast live by Vatican Media on 6 May 2020 at 17.00 and can be viewed on the website www.guardiasvizzera.ch, which also provides information about the Swiss Pontifical Guard Corps.