Sack of Rome Day!

I thought you might like the pictures.

Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, attends a mass for the new members of the Swiss Guards corps at the Vatican, May 6, 2007.

The 6 May 1527 "Sack of Rome," when almost all the Swiss Guard was killed by the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, but enough remained to ensure Pope Clement VII's safe passage to Castel Sant'Angelo. The papal corps -- only 20 years into its Roman service at the time -- observes the Sack as its holiday, recalling it as proof of its loyal service to the Popes, even to the final sacrifice. New members are sworn in, pledging their lives if necessary in the defense of the Holy See, and the entire corps is received by the reigning pontiff, whose coat of arms is incorporated into the guards' banner, which new recruits hold when taking their oaths.