Vatican City, May 5, 2018 / 11:55 am
As 33 new Swiss Guards prepare to take an oath Sunday, the entire army is preparing to expand its ranks by two dozen members to respond to increasing administrative demands while ensuring guards are not overworked.
Commander of the Swiss Guard, Christoph Graf, told journalists May 4 that the Vatican's army will be going through an internal reorganization and that they have been asked to up the number of guards from 110 to 135 as part of the process.
The expansion is not necessarily a response to greater security challenges – five years in to his pontificate, the guard has adjusted to Francis' spontaneity and informality, Graf said.
Instead, the restructuring is just a part of maintaining a modern and up-to-date security team, Swiss Guard Sergeant and media liaison Urs Breitenmoser told CNA.