C'mon, girls.
You'd want to dress like this?
Posted on 12/04/2005 7:33:18 PM PST by Coleus
Swiss Guard fights off women
PHILIP PULLELLA IN VATICAN CITY
THE Vatican told women yesterday they have no chance of joining the Swiss Guard, the world's oldest and most colourful mercenary force.
The "women need not apply" position was underscored at a news conference unveiling plans for six months of celebrations next year to mark the 500th anniversary of the founding of the elite corps which protects the Pope and guards the Vatican.
The corps has not seen action for centuries and its commandant, Colonel Elmar Mader, made it clear that one battle he did not want was one of the sexes. "I can't imagine that we would open up the Swiss Guard to women," he said, adding that the Vatican's barracks were "small and cramped" and he did not want disciplinary difficulties.
"They are young and I don't want to enlist problems. I'm not saying that women are not qualified to be in security forces, but it is a question of discipline."
Col Mader also said there was no question of changing the blue, gold and red Renaissance-style uniform."This is the uniform the world recognises. Changing the uniform of the Swiss Guard would be like changing the meaning of the world," he said.
A highlight of the celebrations, to be held from January to July, will be a 450-mile, 27-day march from Bellinzona in Switzerland to re-enact the guards' entry to Rome when Pope Julius II hired them to protect him.
As well as the traditional commemorative stamps and coins, a ceremony on 6 May will mark the day in 1527 when 147 guards were killed in St Peter's Square defending Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome by Emperor Charles V's forces.
They were also involved in minor skirmishes in 1870 when the Church lost the Papal States in the Unification of Italy.
Battlefields aside, the darkest night in the guards' history was a mysterious murder-suicide in 1998, when young guard Cedric Tornay shot dead Commandant Alois Estermann and his wife, and then himself, according to a Vatican account.
Today, the guard numbers 110 men, all Catholics who hail from the Swiss army and have to be at least 5ft 9in tall to apply.
Oh?
C'mon, girls.
You'd want to dress like this?
BTTT
Don't like it. Don't be a Catholic.
I'm not Cathilic nor woman. I don't have problem with them maintaining the tradition... It's basically a legion of private guard of the pope. If the pope(s) do not think change is needed, why do people have to bother?
Or the Army's homophobia. Or Conservatives' bigotry. Or the Republicans' racism. Or Bush's stupidity. Or the Neocons' imperialism. Or Liberals' cliches.
We hate women yet we worship the Blessed Virgin Mary. That's quite the enigma we mackerel snappers are saddled with.
Catholics usually deny they worship Mary. Your admission is the first I've seen.
Childhood photo
It's a miracle so many women put up with Catholic misogyny.
>>>>
misogyny, there isn't any in the church.
They'll use the excuse that Jesus didn't have female scouts, so why should the Boy Scouts?
They'll use the excuse that Jesus didn't have female reporters in His locker room, so why should the NFL?
They'll use the excuse that Jesus didn't have female golfers at His exclusive club, so why should Augusta?
Its a miracle women put up with men at all...
Heh. Indeed. And at the rate women are overtaking men on college campusses... campuses.... campi(?)... they'll be in the driver's seat before it's all over.
That was sarcasm. Once again you've proven that you aren't very bright.
I'm waiting for them (women) to start fathering children.
I was looking up old news about Switzerland on this site and came across this article. To address you comment, I think a more credible explanation is that the Colonel is not going to drop the standards to accomodate female enlistees. That's an excellent choice, in my opinion.
If you can't see the problem or the importance of tradition then it is a good thing that you are not a Catholic and your opinions are worth exactly what we pay for them.
Ah, tradition, the lip service misogyny pays to patriarchy.
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