A member of the Vatican’s elite Pontifical Swiss Guard is under internal investigation after allegedly spitting toward two Jewish women at the entrance to St. Peter’s Square last month—an incident that occurred on the very day the Catholic Church was commemorating six decades of improved relations with the Jewish people.
Israeli theater director Michal Govrin and Vivian Liska, head of the Institute for Jewish Studies in Antwerp, were entering St. Peter’s Square on October 29 for a papal audience marking the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate when a uniformed guard “visibly hissed at us, ‘les juifs’—the Jews—and made a gesture of spitting in our direction with obvious contempt,” Govrin told the Austrian news agency Kathpress. The women were part of an international Jewish delegation invited to attend the commemoration.
Nostra Aetate, Latin for “in our time,” was published on October 28, 1965 under Pope Paul VI. The document coped with issues that were problematic between Jews and the Church and also those issues that prevented open and friendly relations between Catholicism and other religions, including Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims.
To some extent, the Nostra Aetate absolved the Jews of guilt for the killing of Jesus, referred to as Jewish deicide. It instructed that “the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God” and decried all displays of anti-Semitism. The document states that all men are created in God’s image and that it is contrary to the teaching of the Church to discriminate against, show hatred towards, or harass any person or people based on color, race, religion, or condition of life.
The incident at St. Peter’s Square raises questions about whether the transformation Nostra Aetate promised has penetrated all corners of the Catholic world, even within the Vatican’s own security forces.
Throughout history, Jews in Christian lands were subjected to spitting and other forms of public humiliation. Medieval Church councils mandated that Jews wear distinctive badges and confined them to ghettos, where they faced regular harassment. The contemptuous spitting gesture allegedly directed at these Jewish women at the Vatican evokes this painful history—a history that Nostra Aetate was specifically designed to overcome.
The timing was not lost on observers. Inside the square, Pope Leo XIV was addressing thousands, declaring that “the Church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights it, for the sake of the Gospel itself.” His words drew prolonged applause. Outside, at the Arch of the Bells entrance, a guard was allegedly directing contempt at Jewish visitors.
Swiss Guard spokesman Corporal Eliah Cinotti confirmed to ANSA that “a contentious incident was reported at one of the guard stations and, as happens on these occasions, an internal investigation has been launched.” He emphasized that “the service must always be performed with the utmost professionalism,” though he noted the inquiry “remains confidential.” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said preliminary reports suggest the episode stemmed from “a disagreement over a request to take photos at a guard post,” but acknowledged that “elements interpreted as having antisemitic connotations were detected.”
The Pontifical Swiss Guard, founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II, is celebrated for its discipline and centuries-old oath of loyalty to the Pope. The force consists of young Catholic men from Switzerland who undergo rigorous selection and training. Any verified breach of conduct would constitute a serious violation of the Guard’s code and the values the Vatican claims to uphold.
Pope Leo XIV inherited strained relations with Israel when he assumed the papacy in May. His predecessor, Pope Francis, drew outrage from Israeli officials and Jewish communities worldwide for characterizing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocide”—language he moderated only after meeting with families of hostages held by Hamas.
Last week, the pope met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Vatican. The meeting, described as “cordial” by Vatican officials, centered on two key demands: humanitarian aid for Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state through a so-called two-state solution.
The “Two-State Solution” is an agenda that would create an unprecedented militarized Palestinian enclave within Israel’s borders, ethnically cleansed of Jews, with its exclusively Muslim capital in Jerusalem. This agenda is based on the failed land-for-peace model that resulted in the creation of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas-ruled Gaza.
This latest incident adds another layer of tension. The investigation remains ongoing, and Vatican officials have indicated that any substantiated misconduct will be treated with severity. The Pontifical Swiss Guard released a statement reaffirming “its ongoing commitment to ensuring that its mission is always carried out with respect for the dignity of each person and the fundamental principles of equality and non-discrimination.”
