It is a Feleweibel or Sergeant-major.
They are and have been for over 500 years.
They have been in existence since 1506.
No, not as recruits.
Yes but you have to hold Swiss citizenship.
The Papal Knighthood ( there are or were various grades of nobility) was purely honorary and not a real title of nobility. One should not confuse the idea of a Papal Knight with the on occasion armored Swiss Guards, who are members of the Swiss Army and in fact a special unit. there are plainclothes men also and they do carry issue SIG * Swiss Industry association, roughly) Automatic pistols- and know how to use them. No US citizen can receive a Title of Nobility though this has been waived for some Presidents ( Sir Ronald Reagan ) and ore recently Edward Kennedy.
They are and have been for over 500 years.
They have been in existence since 1506.
The Commandant of the Guard is an Oberst or Colonel.
The Pontifical Swiss Guard are not Swedish.For more information on the Swiss Guard see the link below.
It is traditional since that is the date of the 1527 Sack of Rome when 147 of the 189 died defending Pope Clement VII against Charles V.
The Swiss guards are generally based in Vatican City.
You must be at least 19.
It weighs eight pounds.
Swiss army.
There are two, the Vice-Commandant and the Chaplain.
The Swiss Guards are the body guards of the pope.
The Swiss guards are from Switzerland. They are unmarried men between the ages of 19 and 30, and they would have been trained by the Swiss Armed Forces.