Some of the Pope’s Swiss Guards Resign Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Pope Francis appears on a balcony of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, where he is recovering from intestinal surgery, for the traditional Sunday blessing and Angelus prayer, on July 11, 2021. Alessandra Tarantino/AP Photo

Three Swiss Guards who protect the Pope and Vatican have returned to Switzerland after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, said a spokesman for the Guard.

“Three members of the Guard have chosen not to adhere to that request, voluntarily leaving the corps,″ Lt. Urs Breitenmoser told The Associated Press, saying the Vatican asked the Swiss Guards to receive the vaccine to “protect their health and that of the others they come into contact with as part of their service.”