There's a little known entity within the Vatican walls with a lot of history. Laymen who carry on a centuries old service to the Pope.   This man has been associated with them since just after World War II, back when they were known as the Palatine Guard.   Antonio Martini Ex-Palatine Guard, Association of Sts. Peter and Paul The Palatine Guard was a voluntary military service, but by military we're talking about the most peaceful army in the world because it was for the Pope - the king of peace - so not the king of a territory that needs militarymen. Our function was a decorative and routine one. Routine for the service to pilgrims and the faithful. -- Our point of service was being close to the Holy See, to the Pope, and serving this instition that for a Catholic is the maximum possible. So, the experience was extremely positive. Certainly, there was displeasure when on September 15, 1970, the Palatine Guard was dissolved, but we did understand the reasons for which it was done. It was after the Second Vatican Council, things had changed, so this armed guard within the Church was no longer ... I won't say 'necessary', because perhaps it wasn't necessary before either, but it was from a different time, let's say. In fact, in the Vatican today only the Swiss Guard and the Gendarmerie remain.   But the Palatine Guard and the Noble Guard, that were voluntary services, only decorative and parade guards, were disbanded and it was a real trauma for us. But, we realized that it was necessary for the Holy See to get rid of these units. But we didn't actually leave the Vatican at all, because our faith and our faithfulness were unchanged. Thus was instituted the Association of Saints Peter and Paul which Pope Paul VI himself, when he decreed the dissolution, said could proceed and work to carry on the good that the Palatine Guard had done for so many years by establishing an association to meet the needs of charitable and spiritual nature.   These three gentlemen represent the present and future of the Assocation of Saints Peter and Paul.   Calvino Gasparini President, Association of Sts. Peter and Paul The association works in the field of liturgy, culture and charity. Perhaps the element it has always had in common with the foundation of the Guard in 1850 is its charitable role. The fact of continuing to offer assistance to people's needs, but most of all attending to the reception of pilgrims in visit to Rome.the pilgrim who arrives tired and finds an unwelcoming environment, all the people who bring themselves to the house of the Pope, these are the people we have tried to reach with our testimony first as Palatine Guards and now as an Association.   Today, Assocation members offer directions, information and advice to pilgrims and visiting priests during liturgical celebrations in St. Peter's, especially on feast days.   The future of the group will one day be in the hands of young men like this one. He and others are being formed with a sort of renaissance education. Through studies in spirituality, culture, charity, music and sport they hope to become stronger men of faith.   Since 2010, they are being prepared in this way also to serve the Pope.   Msgr. Joseph Murphy Chaplain, Association of Sts. Peter and Paul (ENGLISH ORIGINAL) As Christians, we all have to know our faith, but we also have to live it. So, what we try to do is to show them that religion isn't just a part of life that you reserve to one particular sector, it's supposed to have an effect in one's life as a whole.   For that reason, all the other areas are interconnected with the religious. And, in an effort to try to bring that across to them - that everything is united - once a month we take all the people involved in formation and all the students on a hike somewhere outside of Rome which will always involved a religious element, a cultural, a recreational element, mountain climbing and a lot of other things as well. So, in that you get to see that all the hours of formation form part of an integral whole.   (RAGAZZO) I've been able to truly rediscover the importance of friendship, true friendship. I've been able to do this also through the liturgy of the hours, been able to develop a love for Christ. The student group forms us to confront what will be in our future, what will be of each of us young people. Besides studies, there must be an essential logic and this group gives us that. -- We have, as service to the Holy See teaches us, a Christian principle to preserve also outside the Vatican walls. We must trasmit also among us young people, the beauty of Christian freindship in the light of the faith.   And, all this is essential for the association as it moves past its fortieth year.   Calvino Gasparini President, Association of Sts. Peter and Paul We have existed for 150 years as the Palatine Guard and 40 years as the association. We are not extinct and we continue on because of the young people who come in with that spirit that we Romans have always had - that of being faithful to the Apostolic See. And, this faithfulness attested to by Romans is found in every generation.

There's a little known entity within the Vatican walls with a lot of history. Laymen who carry on a centuries old service to the Pope. ...leggi tutto