Pope Francis fires head of Swiss Guard

Press TV (Iran)
December 3, 2014

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/12/03/388620/pope-francis-fires-swiss-guard-head/

Colonel Daniel Rudolf Anrig, outgoing Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard

"The Holy Father has decided that Colonel Daniel Rudolf Anrig, Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, will leave office on January 31, 2015, at the end of the extension granted after the end of his five-year mandate," L'Osservatore Romano wrote on Wednesday.

Anrig has been the commander of the 120-strong Swiss Guard since 2008.

The Vatican did not give further details; however, Il Messaggero, a Rome-based daily, said, "The Pope has signaled to his aides that he would have liked a less strict military corps, with a less obsessive regime compared to the one enforced by Colonel Anrig."

Media outlets have construed the move as a reaction against "obsessive" rigidity in the security force of the Pope.

The Swiss Guard, known for their Renaissance-style uniforms in blue, red and yellow, has been responsible for the Pope's security since 1506. They need to be single, Catholic, between 19 to 30 years of age, and morally irreproachable.

Pope Francis replaced Vatican financial watchdog board in early June. The five-person board will see their terms expire in 2016. The Vatican said the new directors are Juan Zarate, a former national security adviser to US ex-President George Bush, and Joseph Pillay, an adviser to the president of Singapore.

The move was interpreted by the media as the Pope's endeavor to stamp out corruption and other abuses at the Vatican bank.