Pope Leo IV meets with Swiss Guard
“Leon XIV wanted to meet alone with the Swiss Guard at the end of the day Saturday, something that surprised the protocol that deals with the Pope's activities.
Getting together with the entire Swiss guard, was a thoughtless thing, let alone the day after he was elected.
Never had a Pope in the Vatican asked to join the Swiss Guards on the first day, let alone a meeting with the Guards.
The Swiss Guards didn't suspect this encounter would be on the first day of a newly-elected Pope. It was an impromptu meeting.
In the Clementine Room stood the whole guard silently, waiting for the Pope to arrive. There was a solemn and edgy atmosphere.
The door opens, a man enters alone, dressed in white, with gestures of fatigue, but also of warmth.
"I wanted to see you, because you will walk with me and tell you that Lion XIII made Saint Michael pray a prayer to protect the church."
The Pope tells them that when he went to the Plaza he took the weight of the call. "There I felt the weight of history and that gave me more firmness in the obligation to proclaim the gospel." Nobody was aware of the moment they were living. He tells them not to be afraid to proclaim the gospel, "to be Catholic today is to accept the cross."
The guards were moved, they were knowing the vulnerability of the Pope. But he came to see them despite his tiredness. His hands got tired and transformed into firm fists.
The Pope confesses to them "when I was in the Sistine chapel, in the most intense moment, I felt fear, fear not of responsibility but fear of a world that is turning away from God."
"When I remembered the prayer of Saint Miguel, I wanted to share with you that today I want us to wield a spiritual weapon. ”
He looked at our praises and began to recite... "St. Miguel the Archangel defend us in battle, be our shield, .......... ”
The sentences were listening with excitement.
When the prayer ended, a deep silence occurred from the whole guard.
The Pope approaches the younger soldiers and states to them "we are afraid of being tagged, but Francis taught us that we must not be afraid."
"We are a church that does not hide, does not apologize for its Faith, from today guard the church with the prayer of St. Michael, to be part of its daily service. ”
At that moment the Commander stepped forward and said:
"Holiness just as we have sworn to defend your life with ours, so we will also defend the Faith with our prayers."
Pope Leon XIV blessed the arms (praises), touched his fingers the weapons of the first row, walk in the middle of our rows, asking names, what is your name? Marcel, how long have you been? I am two months now ..... , “then we started together both serving. ”
He says to another guard for 17 years: "You've seen a lot... , what advice do you give to a Pope on his first day?
(I would never have expected a Pope to ask me for advice)
Trust in Holiness, in God
First and then we are here. ”
The Pope replies: "This is exactly the advice I needed to hear today. Thank you."
It's back to center room
A new serenity covers them. “The entire weight of the Church will fall on the weight of these imperfect shoulders,” says the Pope. “But after being with you I feel less alone in this mission.
I ask you to pray for me,
As I will pray for you,
Together every day
Let us invoke the protection of St. Michael over the church and over the world.”
The entire room was holding its breath
Go out without fear, the Swiss guard goes with the Pope visible and firm, but more importantly, Christ goes with us, invisible but INVINCIBLE!”
Lu