The 50-year-old Swiss Benedictine Fr Recklin will succeed Fr Widmer as a special priest of the Pope’s Swiss Guard. Father Widmer ended his pastoral work in the Guard for nearly six years.
(Vatican News Network)On September 1, 2021, Pope Francis appointed the 50-year-old Swiss Benedictine Father Kolumban Reichlin as the Pope’s Swiss Guard priest. Father Recklin was born on March 2, 1971. After obtaining a high school diploma in Schwyz, he entered the Einsiedeln Abbey in 1991; after completing theological training in Einsiedeln and the St. Monley Abbey in the United States, he was ordained as a priest in Einsiedeln in 1997 . Later, Father Recklin studied history and etiquette in Bern, Fribourg and Rome. The priest held many positions in the monastery, especially in charge of pilgrimage affairs. In addition, his work in etiquette is also outstanding.
Father Recklin will assume his new role on October 1, 2021, and will formally succeed Father Widmer. Father Widmer finished his pastoral work in the Pope’s Swiss Guard for nearly six years and now returns to his home country to take charge of the administration of the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Zurich. Father Widmer’s farewell party was held in the Vatican on August 12, and the Swiss Guard also held a thanksgiving ceremony in the Church of Our Lady of the Teutonic Cemetery.
According to the “Rome Observer”, when Father Widmer delivered a speech at the farewell meeting, he first thanked God for giving the members of the Swiss Guard the strength. He then emphasized that the members of the Swiss Guard “worked very hard, bravely and faithfully to defend the Pope every day,” and gave a profound testimony in the Guard through the “brotherly love”. Father Widmer said to everyone present, “I thank you for everything I can learn from you all. Thank you for your friendship. You have made my life rich and colorful with your youth and vitality.” Father Widmer entrusts every member of the Swiss Guard to the infinite mercy of God, and asks God to help everyone continue to live in this spirit of friendship and love. This spirit is characteristic of the Pope’s Swiss Guard.
In addition, due to epidemic prevention restrictions, only a few representatives of members of the Swiss Guard attended the Mass in the Church of Our Lady of the Teutonic Cemetery. In his sermon, the outgoing special priest prayed that “the members of the Pope’s Swiss Guard will work hard to love each other sincerely” without thinking about whether each other is worth it.
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