On May 6th, the new halberdiers of the Pontifical Swiss Guard will take an oath to "serve the Pope faithfully, loyally, and honorably". On the anniversary of the Sack of Rome in 1527, when 189 Swiss Guards defended Pope Clement VII against Charles V's troops, 28 new guards will take their solemn oath. The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Each guard pledges, on the flag of the Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps and in the presence of Pope Leo XIV, to safeguard and defend the current Pope and all his legitimate successors, even if it means risking their own lives, as so many other guards have done before. The Pontifical Swiss Guard is the world's oldest military force. It was founded on January 22, 1506, by Pope Julius II, and is in charge of protecting the Pope and his residence. It is led by Colonel Christoph Graf and is in charge of controlling access to the Vatican and the Apostolic Palace, maintaining order and carrying out representative functions during papal ceremonies and state receptions, and protecting the College of Cardinals during the see's vacancy. The Corps includes guards from all of Switzerland's linguistic areas. The majority of the Corps members are from the Canton of Valais (18), with others from Ticino (13) and Lucerne (11).