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Well this weekend the Vatican Guards celebrate their 500th anniversary! And thusfar only one Pope wounded and no deaths... quite an amazing record

Well this weekend the Vatican Guards celebrate their 500th anniversary! And thusfar only one Pope wounded and no deaths... quite an amazing record

Some guards -- they managed to wound one pope and none of them have died for 500 years?
Just kidding -- probably should back off on my strange humor on this one before I'm accused of irreverence (again).

Aren't the vatican guards Swiss and haven't they been using the same equipment for 500 years? not making fun of them, I saw a documentary about Swiss guards at the Vatican and they still wore armour and carried medieval style pole-arms.

that's just the ceremonial guards.
well, i wouldn't want to take on someone who got the edge with that medevial equipment to begin with, and you can bet that just out of ssight are the "real guards" with modern weapons and all.

remember, once upon a time the swiss were feared so much that the vienna congress ruled that switzerland should be forbidden to ally herself with any other country, and they are only allowed to fight on their homeland and the vatican.

Historically, one of the reasons the Swiss Guard is in the Vatican is to serve much the same purpose as the Roman Preatorian Guard...to limit the powers of the Pope. The Swiss ensure the the sanctity and the neutrality of the Vatican...which, of course, prevents the Pope from allying with any other power.

The title has been disavowed and allowed to wither, but those in conflict with the Church during the period of the Reformation were well aware that it is still technically correct to greet the Pope with a clenched fist over your heart and the cry of Ave! Ave! Ceasar Imperator!

Of note:

In 1944, when the Wehrmacht marched into Rome, the Swiss Guard changed to field grey uniforms and positioned themselves behind cover while manning machine guns and mortars.

They take their duties very seriously and they are well aware that they are the last vestiges of a venerable tradition of Swiss Mercenaries.

BTW - those pretty ceremonial uniforms date only to about 100 years ago ....

No, you do NOT want to mess around with any of the Swiss Guards.

If I'm not mistaken, aren't ever Swiss young male required to take a stint in the Swiss military?  If that's the case, you wouldn't want to mess with any Swiss.

If I'm not mistaken, aren't ever Swiss young male required to take a stint in the Swiss military?

That is not confined to Switzerland by any means. Compulsory conscription is gradually being phased out in some European countries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription

PS. Shouldn't the subject of this topic be; Half a millennium?

PS. Shouldn't the subject of this topic be; Half a millennium?

Are you disputing the correctness of a ticher of Englisch?

Are you disputing the correctness of a ticher of Englisch?

Yup and not for the first time.

Are you disputing the correctness of a ticher of Englisch?

Yup and not for the first time.

Nor even for the disputer to be disputed, hey, Hagar? Nevertheless, since we seem of late to be beating up on Ozzy, I'll give him a far flung way out on this one: you see, he was starting his count from a date which put the 500 span of time through two millenial segments, thus his plural usage. Right, Ozzy?

You try teaching Present Perfect all day long and then sink a couple of beers and see if ANYTHING makes sense....
I'm going to go and make some more bookshelves

You try teaching Present Perfect all day long and then sink a couple of beers and see if ANYTHING makes sense...

I'm unsure we presently have the sense to make anything perfect on purpose.

I can't make sense of anything! Thank goodness it is only Business English classes at the uni. tomorrow! I don't think I can cope with any more grammar at the mo.

No, you do NOT want to mess around with any of the Swiss Guards.

On that note, my poking finger is acting up.  Reminds me of the British soldiers with the funny hats.  Royal Guards maybe?  Everything's royal in England. Are they really supposed to not do anything regaurdless of what you do?  Can you poke them? [poke poke] I wonder if you could poke a Swiss Guard.  [poke poke]









[poke poke]