Swiss president promises pope support for barracks

Pope Francis has received Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd for a 25-minute audience at the Vatican. Amherd, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, wrote on social media on Saturday that she had assured the pope that Switzerland supported the reconstruction of the Swiss Guard barracks and the recruitment of new Swiss Guards. The new barracks for the papal Swiss Guard are not being built by the Vatican, but by a private Swiss foundation. Like the federal government and various cantons, the Vatican is making a contribution. Of the CHF50 million ($55 million) required for the new building, CHF1.5 million is still needed. + Geneva refuses funding for Swiss Guard Papal barracks Amherd also tweeted that she had spoken to the pope about the civil war in Sudan and about the joint commitment to international humanitarian law and against the death penalty. In the run-up to the audience, she had said that she would also address the cases of abuse in the Catholic Church. The ...