News

Jeremy Houghton

Published 11/21/2025

The swearing-in ceremony of the Swiss Guard, traditionally held on 6 May, marks the anniversary of the Sack of Rome in 1527 – the moment in which the Guard’s role, and its relationship to the papacy, was defined.

This year, the ceremony was delayed following the death of Pope Francis and the subsequent conclave. When it was eventually held in September, the context had shifted, but the structure of the ritual remained unchanged. The presence of Pope Leo lent the occasion a particular weight – not through spectacle, but through continuity. The ceremony did not feel historic; it felt ongoing.

Houghton attended the ceremony in person at the invitation of the Swiss Guard. For him, it marked the beginning of his residency with the Corps.

To witness the ceremony is to see a system sustained through repetition. The oath itself is precise and formal, but what it carries extends beyond the immediate moment – a continuation of a commitment restated, year after year, across centuries.

What becomes clear is that the Guard’s role is not simply preserved through history, but enacted continuously. While their origins lie in the early sixteenth century, their function has evolved over time, moving from a military presence to one of direct allegiance to the papacy. That evolution is not declared, but practiced.

Their appearance suggests continuity. The uniforms, largely unchanged, place them visibly within a longer historical line. Yet the environment in which they operate is not fixed. The Vatican itself is a space where tradition is maintained alongside gradual adaptation – where structures endure even as context shifts.

The ceremony makes this visible in a quiet way. It is not a reenactment of the past, but a reaffirmation of something ongoing – a structure held in place through discipline, repetition, and presence.

For Houghton, this became the starting point for the work. His residency offers a vantage point from which to observe how such a role is carried in the present – not as a historical subject alone, but as a lived condition. The focus is not on describing the institution, but on understanding how it is inhabited: how individuals move within it, and how continuity is maintained through their actions.

In this sense, the Swiss Guard’s service offers a particular perspective on time. It is not distant or contained, but cumulative – built through repeated acts of allegiance. What emerges is not simply a record of history, but an observation of the conditions under which it continues.