Read our Privacy noticePope Leo XIV presided Saturday over the swearing-in ceremony of 27 new Swiss Guards, lending some surprise star power to the pomp-filled ceremony as the corps struggles to find enough young men to serve in the world’s oldest standing army. The Vatican didn’t say why Leo decided to preside over the ceremony, though he had attended it in years past as a cardinal. The world's oldest armyThe corps was founded in 1506 by Pope Giulio II and is considered by historians to be the world's oldest standing army. This year’s ceremony was postponed following the death in April of Pope Francis and the conclave that elected Leo. The Swiss Guards protect the main entrances of Vatican City, the pope and provide ceremonial guard duty at papal events.