Questioned by the Italian agency Ansa, the spokesman for the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Corporal Eliah Cinotti, confirmed on Friday that a“contentious episode” had been reported and that an internal investigation, the content of which remains confidential, had been launched.

“This is a normal procedure, as the service must always be provided with the utmost professionalism,” he added. The affair was revealed by the Italian daily La Repubblica.

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During the pope's general audience on October 29, two Jewish women were allegedly insulted by a Swiss Guard on duty in St Peter's Square. The audience was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the declaration of the Second Vatican Council“Nostra Aetate”, promulgated on October 28, 1965, by Pope Paul VI. The text deals with the Catholic Church's relations with non-Christian religions. The venue was packed with representatives of other religions, including a large Jewish contingent, according to Ansa.

One of those involved, Michal Govrin, an Israeli writer and theatre director, was quoted by the Italian agency as saying:“As a colleague and I – two women who are not generally recognised as Jewish – were passing through a side entrance to St Peter's Square as part of an international delegation of Jews, a member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard visibly hissed at us 'Jews' and then made the gesture of spitting in our direction with obvious contempt.”

If the episode is confirmed by the internal investigation, drastic measures could be envisaged, according to Ansa. At the same audience, Pope Leo XIV declared:“The Church does not tolerate anti-Semitism and fights it, because of the Gospel itself.” This statement was greeted by long applause.

Translated from French by DeepL/ts

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