Former Swiss Guardsman faithfully served Pope Pius XII

Fred Weber joined elite papal unit in 1956, left shortly before 1958 conclave

Fred Weber, with upraised arm, swears a solemn oath of loyalty to the Pope in 1957. When he left Switzerland a year earlier, he recalled, "Germany, France, Italy, were out," for work. Photo submitted.

When young Swiss Fred Weber needed work, he applied to march with one of the world's best known armies: the expertly trained Pontifical Swiss Guard. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Bill to protect state definitions of marriage introduced

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder congratulates Elena Kagan on Capitol Hill in Washington after she won Senate confirmation to be the next U.S. Supreme Court justice Aug. 5. CNS photo / Department of Justice handout via Reuters.

Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have introduced bills bolstering the ability of individual states to declare what they will and will not recognize as a marriage and enforce that definition within state boundaries. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Belgian-style euthanasia of children and demented adults may follow Bill 52

Protesters in Brussels hold banners Feb. 11 against legislation authorizing euthanasia for children. Belgian legislators voted Feb. 13 to make their country the world's first to allow euthanasia for small children, despite vigorous opposition from the Ca tholic Church and all main religious groups. CNS photo / Laurent Dubrule, Reuters.

The secretary of Quebec's College of Physicians has mused Belgian-style euthanasia of Alzheimer's patients and terminally-ill children could follow after euthanasia Bill 52 becomes law. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.