Alternate Papal Guard?

Delta Force

Banned
The Swiss Guard became the Papal Guard because the Swiss were among the most fearsome mercenaries in Europe. Could the Papal Guard have had a different setup, such as consisting of several different units to prevent the risk of one being bribed or rebelling? Could the Papal Guard have been made up of non-Europeans if Catholic missionary efforts in India and Japan had been more successful?
 
Swiss guard was just one of the several guards that existed until the XXth century : Corsican Guard, Palatine Guard, Noble Guard, etc.
(A bit like every relevant enough royalty in Europe had their foreigns guards)

While the Swiss Guard was kept thanks to its prestige and professionalism (both of the others were definitely less so), you really have choice when it comes to alternatives : if the ban on mercenaryship and foreign service for Swiss was extended to Papal States for exemple.

As for extra-European recruitment, I suppose that's possible but I doubt it would turn into a "native guard" easily, especially because of the absence of direct link with the pope or pontifical policy.
That said, it could have existed and lasted with the other guards, but by the time these would be disbanded I think that an "African guard" after Vatican II wouldn't be that appealing and may be disbanded as well.
 
The Swiss Guard became the Papal Guard because the Swiss were among the most fearsome mercenaries in Europe. Could the Papal Guard have had a different setup, such as consisting of several different units to prevent the risk of one being bribed or rebelling? Could the Papal Guard have been made up of non-Europeans if Catholic missionary efforts in India and Japan had been more successful?

I think in the 19th Century international Papal Zouave forces there had been a few Catholic non-Europeans including Chinese by 1870.
 
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