Female Swiss Guards

From the Telegraph:

The Swiss Guard is to consider recruiting women into the world's smallest army for the first time in the papal security force's 500-year history.

The new commander of the force, whose distinctive blue, yellow and red uniforms and ceremonial halberds grace the precincts of the Vatican, said that obstacles that had kept the force all-male could be overcome.

His surprise comments, which follow the refusal of his predecessors to contemplate women recruits, were made on the eve of a swearing-in ceremony at the Vatican for 32 new members of the force.