Seamless web: providing papal security with reasonable public access

Published: 2005-09-23

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The hundreds of people who guard the pope and the Vatican have created a seamless web of tight security with reasonable public access for the millions of pilgrims who flock yearly to Vatican City. Vatican and Italian security forces provide "impeccable security for a person who wants to be open and near the people," one Italian state police official told Catholic News Service. Three separate entities keep watch over the pope and the Vatican. The most visible, and colorful, are the 110 Swiss Guards, whose main duties are guarding the pope and his residence. The Vatican's police force, called the gendarme corps, is responsible for crowd control, traffic within the Vatican, parking enforcement and permits to enter offices within the walls of Vatican City. A special branch of the Italian police force, the Inspectorate for Public Security at the Vatican, allows Italian police to provide for the pope's security when he leaves Vatican City.

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