The latest 32 recruits to the Swiss Guards, the oldest army in the world, swore their oath of allegiance at a ceremony here on Wednesday amid suggestions women might some day join their ranks.
Laying a wreath in memory of guards who died in the corps' most famous act of heroism, Commander Daniel Anrig reminded the new recruits that today's guards were also ready to put their lives on the line.
''We are ready to die because there is something more precious than worldly life: eternal life,'' said Anrig, overseeing his first swearing-in ceremony.
Anrig, who took over last year, was asked Tuesday if women would ever be allowed into the corps.
He appeared to soften long-standing resistance to the idea, saying that while sharing barracks with women might create problems, ''all problems can be resolved''.
Anrig's predecessor, Colonel Elmar Maedar, was asked the same question in 2004.
He replied: ''It's never going to happen, and certainly not on my watch''.
Founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II, the Swiss Guards traditionally take their oath on May 6 to recall the deaths of 147 guards during the Sack of Rome by Emperor Charles V in 1527.
Only 42 guards survived the attack and ensured that Pope Clement VII (Giulio de' Medici) escaped the ignominy of capture.
The oath ceremony took place with top church officials and representatives from the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See in attendance.
The 33 new guards, who will maintain the number of the world's smallest army at 110, are between the ages of 21 and 30 and most took their oath in German, while 11 did so in French, one in Italian and one in Ladin, the Romance language spoken between Saint Moritz and the Austrian border.
The recruits come from a group of Swiss towns and villages which for centuries have provided the Pope's personal mercenaries.
On Monday Pope Benedict XVI met with the Swiss Guards and the new recruits to express his gratitude.
''I thank you for the generosity and dedication you offer in the service of the pope. For five centuries, the spirit of faith that motivates young Swiss men to leave their beautiful land to come and serve the pope in the Vatican has remained unchanged,'' he said.
During the Middle Ages and in Renaissance times, the Swiss had the reputation of being Europe's most reliable mercenaries - tough fighters who hardly ever changed sides.
Recruitment terms are strict. Candidates have to be single males, at least 1.74m tall, practising Catholics, to have completed their compulsory military service in Switzerland and to be ''of stainless character''.
Swiss Guards sign on for a minimum of two years. In the past the corps has been seen as a springboard for lucrative posts in some of the world's best-known security services and banks, but fewer young Swiss have been drawn to the job lately, preferring to stay in their native cantons.
Part of the problem has been the salary, just over 1,000 euros a month for a raw recruit - though the Vatican is quick to stress Guards can save about 75% of their pay thanks to free digs and the city-state's famously cheap canteen, pharmacy, tailors and health services.
The antique blue-and-orange uniform worn by the guards was once believed to have been designed by the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo, but historians believe this is more myth than fact.
