Church Swiss

Laning , Lorraine , Church Swiss with halberd at Sunday service

Gustave Courbet : A funeral in Ornans (in the middle two Swiss churchmen in red clothes)

Image detail (Swiss Church on the left)

The Kirchenschweizer (or Kirchenschweitzer) is a doorkeeper and overseer in Catholic churches. It is the task of the Swiss Church to ensure order and peace in the liturgy and in the church building . During church services on special occasions, the Swiss church keeps things tidy with his festive garb (usually a red robe with a beret and a long black staff with a round carving at the top), helps with finding a place and makes sure that the liturgical entry and exit The exodus and the reception of Holy Communion were dignified and orderly. In general, the Church Swiss employee of a's parish , parish or diocese .

designation

The name is said to be derived from Swiss people who had left the country and earned their income as soldiers or security guards, among other things . A doorkeeper or caretaker of a wealthy private house was called Suisse (Swiss) in French in the 17th and 18th centuries . In Switzerland the term Kirchenweibel is used for this office . In the Anglican Church the Swiss churchman is called Verger (church servant).

history

As early as the Middle Ages , there were so-called Domstäbler who were responsible for keeping the church quiet and going up and down the aisles during mass. In Mainz , during the French occupation at the beginning of the 19th century, a religious service police (French: Police du culte ) was deployed, whose uniforms were based on the uniforms of French officers. Also in Bavaria (for example Basilica Vierzehnheiligen , Prien am Chiemsee , Basilica Gößweinstein ) the church Swiss wears a uniform with a bicorn , sash and gauntlets .

The service of the Dom Swiss is common at large bishopric churches, for example in the cathedrals of Cologne , Speyer , Mainz , Trier , Limburg / Lahn , Bamberg , Aachen and in the Freiburg Minster as well as in the Salzburg Cathedral . In other mainstream churches, such as sanctuaries, often goes on solemn church services a Swiss before the procession to input and extract . Dom Swiss women have also been employed in Cologne Cathedral since spring 2019 . So far this office has been a male domain.

In many places, the Swiss are only present at the large church services, in Cologne Cathedral, on the other hand, the Swiss are in traditional clothing during the opening hours of the cathedral, supported by a private security service.