Former Swiss Papal Guard reflects on Pope Francis' legacy

Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88, the Vatican announced on Easter Monday. Didier Grandjean, a seminarian and former Swiss Guard, believes that although we will need time to take stock, it is already clear that Francis' papacy marked a milestone in the evolution of the Catholic Church. SWI swissinfo.ch: You knew Pope Francis quite well. Where did you meet him? Didier Grandjean: I knew Pope Francis relatively well in the sense that I saw him almost every day during my service at the Vatican as a Papal Swiss Guard. After that, I entered the seminary, where he continued to accompany me in different ways, and I saw him again several times after I left the Guard. Didier Grandjean A native of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg, Didier Grandjean joined the Pontifical Swiss Guard in 2011 and left in 2019. He first served under Benedict XVI, then under Francis from 2013. He rose to the rank of vice-corporal and was deputy spokesman for the Guard. He is no stranger to the media ...