Holy See-Switzerland relations

Holy See	Switzerland

Holy See –Switzerland relations are among the oldest bilateral diplomatic relations, beginning with the admission of a papalnuncio toLucerne in 1586.^[1] About 40% of the Swiss population are Catholics, and young Swiss men have served for centuries in the PontificalSwiss Guard.

The two states maintain close diplomatic ties, grounded in shared foreign policy objectives such as the promotion of peace,sustainable development, andhuman rights. Each maintains a permanentdiplomatic mission in the other’s territory, and they cooperate in areas such as education, cultural exchange, and humanitarian action. Their relationship also includes dialogue between academic institutions and collaboration on international initiatives.^[2]

The bilateral relationship became lastingly fraught during the second half of the 19th century, after themodern Swiss state emerged from a civil war in which the mostly liberal and Protestant cantons defeated theSonderbund, an alliance of conservative and Catholic cantons that had enjoyed the strong support of the Holy See. In 1873, at the height of theKulturkampf, theSwiss Federal Council ordered the papal nuncio to leave Switzerland, ending diplomatic relations for about 50 years. The Catholic foreign ministerGiuseppe Motta was eventually able to convince his colleagues to allow the return of a nuncio toBern.^[1]

Switzerland, however, remained without diplomatic representation with the Holy See until 1991, when the government appointed a non-resident special envoy, which it upgraded to ambassadorial status in 2004. In May 2022, Switzerland opened its first resident embassy to the Holy See inRome.^[3]

ThePontifical Swiss Guard has served as the personal protection unit of the Pope since 1506.^[4] Recruits are young Swiss men who wear the Guard’s traditionalRenaissance uniform and receive modern training in personal security. Their service combines religious commitment with exposure to Italian language and culture during their time inVatican City.^[4]

• Concordat
• Foreign relations of the Holy See

• Holy See–Switzerland relations
• Bilateral relations of the Holy See
• Bilateral relations of Switzerland

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata