Pope Francis Dismisses 'Authoritarian' Swiss Guard Commander

In a move that stunned Vatican insiders, Pope Francis removed the head of the Swiss Guards responsible for his security allegedly "for being too strict."

The Vatican and the Guards have declined to provide any official explanation for the papal action which was first reported by the Vatican's official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano on Wednesday.

"The Holy Father has ordered that Colonel Daniel Rudolf Anrig end his term on 31 January, at the conclusion of the extension granted after the end of his five-year mandate," the brief notice said.

Following news of Anrig's sacking, one Swiss Guard was reported to have told Italian media that "this is the end of a dictatorship."

Franca Giansoldati, a Vatican specialist for Rome's Il Messaggero newspaper, said it would appear that the Pope and Swiss Guard commander had a "different vision" on how the Guards ought to be treated. "From what we have been able to reconstruct, there is a different vision between the Pope who wants relationships inside the Vatican to be humane, brotherly, even paternal," Giansoldati said. "And then, there is the vision of the Colonel who is the colonel of the smallest army in the world, but it is still an army, with very rigid rules, very severe and soldierly."

Sources said the Pope was shocked recently when he emerged one morning from his room to discover that the same Swiss Guard had been on duty outside all night.

When he told the soldier to sit down, the guard reportedly replied: "I can't. It's against orders." Pope Francis reportedly said: "I give the orders around here." The Pope then reportedly offered the exhausted bodyguard a cup of coffee.

BBC's veteran Vatican watcher David Willey said the Pope also frowned upon the move taken by Anrig to refurbish his large and luxurious penthouse apartment for his family inside the Vatican.

Former Pope Benedict XVI appointed Anrig as commander of the Swiss Guards in 2008.

Before his appointment, Anrig was a senior police chief in Switzerland who was accused of alleged human rights violations during a raid he led on an immigrants' refugee center in 2003. He denied any wrong-doing. A judge, however, found that police had humiliated the refugees and ordered him to pay £210 in legal costs.

James Martin, an editor-at-large at America magazine, said the Pope's decision reflected his leadership style.

"I have no background information regarding why the Pope removed the head of the Swiss Guards. One thing it does show, however, is that Pope Francis is not afraid of making difficult decisions, whether regarding the Vatican Bank or the Swiss Guards," Martin said.

"When he was elected, one of the first things that a friend of his told me was, 'This man is not afraid of anyone or anything.' He is, to use a word Jesuits often use, free."

The 110-man Swiss Guard corps has served popes since 1506. However, in the past century, they have mostly assumed ceremonial role. They are an attraction for tourists in the Vatican with their official dress uniform of blue, red, orange, and yellow stripes and two-handed halberd weapons.

Aside from the Swiss Guards, the Vatican has a 130-member police force responsible for order and security in the city state and other Vatican properties.

The Vatican has yet to name Anrig's successor, although it is expected that Anrig's deputy, Christoph Graf, will be appointed to succeed his former chief.