The Vatican confirmed that the Swiss Guard has opened an investigation against one of its soldiers. The reason: alleged antisemitic comments made toward two women.
The event was said to have taken place on October 29 at one of the entrances to St. Peter’s Square. The Holy See added that the incident stemmed from a disagreement over the women taking a photo of one of the guard posts.
The information came to light through an article by a German theologian in an Austrian weekly publication, which included the testimony of the affected women.
Later, one of them, Israeli writer Michal Govrin, explained in an interview with the Kathpress agency that the soldier had referred to them as “Jewish” and that they were “shocked.”
The other woman, Vivian Liska of the University of Antwerp, shared the events with La Repubblica, adding that after making the comment, the guard made a spitting gesture. She then asked why he had referred to them that way, and he denied it.
The Swiss Guard stated that the internal investigation is confidential, but that such procedures are standard in these cases and apply to any type of complaint involving the corps.
A spokesman of the Swiss guards confirmed to this outlet that they are verifying what happened with those involved to ensure that everything is handled professionally. If the facts are confirmed, this Swiss guard’s future will depend on his commander.
CA
