Vatican Swiss guard under investigation for ‘making spitting gesture at Jewish women’
Investigation launched after Vatican Swiss Guard allegedly ‘spat at two Jewish women’
- A member of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard is under investigation for allegedly spitting at two Jewish women during a Papal address on 29 October.
- Vivian Liska, director of the Institute of Jewish Studies, and Israeli writer Michal Govrin claim the guard muttered "les Juifs" and made a "contemptuous sound of spitting" towards them.
- The incident occurred as the women entered St Peter’s Square to mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, a document promoting inter-religious dialogue.
- Vatican authorities and the Swiss Guard have launched a procedural internal investigation into the allegations, with a spokesperson confirming the probe to ensure professionalism.
- The Pope's address on the same day strongly condemned antisemitism and emphasised mutual respect and spiritual hospitality among different religions.