Young men in the Swiss Guard have to give their lives to save that of the Pope. What motivates them to protect the head of the Catholic Church despite scandals and criticism? "rec." reporter Livio Chistell accompanies guardsmen behind the walls of the Vatican. _____________________________________________ ???? Subscribe to SRF Dok now on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/srfdok?sub_co... ???? Would you like to suggest a topic to us? Then write to us at: [email protected] _____________________________________________ "Shortly before we accompanied the Pope on one of his trips, we were told that we should quickly write our wills," says Mihovil Blazevic while on patrol. "I had to swallow hard." Despite the risks that come with this job, his faith in God, the camaraderie among the guardsmen and the special working world have kept him in Rome for five years. However, around 70 percent of guardsmen do not stay for longer than 26 months - that is the mandatory length of service. Mihovil Blazevic shares his room with another guardsman in the barracks. He is paid around 1,500 euros. He has little privacy and his everyday life is characterized by strict rules and irregular working hours. In addition, the Catholic Church has come under heavy criticism for the abuse scandals and conservative moral values. For Mihovil it is clear that the mistakes made by the institution must be clarified and dealt with. However, he wants to separate his role as a Swiss Guard from the politics of the church. "You cannot equate the institution with faith. An institution can make mistakes," says Mihovil. He also sees every day what positive effects the church can have. 00:00 Intro 01:20 On patrol with Mihovil and Eliah 03:48 Are the guardsmen even deployed? 05:40 How much is show, how much is guard duty? 07:35 The many visitors to the Vatican are a risk 08:12 The Swiss Guard as a family - lonely and without privacy? 09:30 Living situation in the barracks 12:00 The new barracks are largely financed by Switzerland 12:35 What is the working atmosphere like in the Swiss Guard? 13:56 Working in the Guard is not for Gianluca 15:53 ​​Mihovil had to write his will 17:20 Why work for an institution that is so criticized? 20:15 Isn't that how the Guards defend the Church's mistakes? 22:55 Recruitment problems in the Guard 25:12 The Guard is co-financed by a Swiss foundation 25:49 On the road with Tobias 26:12 Conditions and rules if a Guardsman wants to get married 28:10 What are the restrictions of the Guard for Inga? 29:20 Life in the Swiss Guard 31:11 Conclusion 31:46 Outro _____________________________________________ ▪ A film by Livio Chistell ▪ Senior Producer: Vanessa Nikisch, Ilona Stämpfli ▪ Director: Anita Richner _____________________________________________ This is «rec.»: «rec.» stands for «record». Our reporters report on topics that move people and stimulate discussion. They look for answers to questions that concern them and the community. With their cameras, they go where life takes place, they show the world and its people as they are: real and unfiltered. NEW DOCUMENTARIES AND REPORTS EVERY WEEK _____________________________________________ ???? More on the topic of documentaries & reports can be found here: ???? More stories to listen to: https://www.srf.ch/audio/themen/mensc... ???? More documentaries on Play SRF: https://www.srf.ch/play/tv/themen/dok... _____________________________________________ Channel info: The SRF Dok teams report factually, avoid "scripted reality" and are committed to journalistic integrity. The editorial team's credo: We show life in all its shades. _____________________________________________ Social Media Netiquette from SRF: ► https://www.srf.ch/social-netiquette #SRFDok #Reportage #SwissGarde #Rec. #SRF