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Because of this proximity to absolute spiritual power, Swiss Guards have often found themselves at the center of Vatican intrigue—not as perpetrators, but as witnesses, whistleblowers, or, occasionally, tragic victims.

But the unofficial story—published in the Italian press, later in The Times and Der Spiegel —was far darker. Numerous reports alleged that Estermann was in a long-term homosexual relationship with Tornay. According to this version, Tornay had become obsessed, jealous, or despondent when Estermann married a woman (Gladys, a Venezuelan national) just weeks earlier while continuing to see Tornay.

Several former guards (speaking anonymously to Kriminalpolizei in 2016) admitted that homosexual encounters between guards are officially prohibited but “tolerated if discreet.” When it involves a guard and a prelate, however, that crosses into blackmail territory. The most recent twist, as of 2026 looking back, was the 2023 Vatican money laundering trial involving Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu. During testimony, a Swiss Guard financial auditor revealed that the Guard’s own accounts had been used to transfer 50,000 euros to a Sardinian layman for “security consulting.” That consultant turned out to be a former escort involved in a homosexual blackmail ring in Cagliari. gaybelamiscandalinthevatican2theswissguardpart new

This article is the definitive, long-form investigation into those intersections, updated for the current papacy of Pope Francis, and exploring the three major scandals that have rocked the Vatican’s closets and its guardsmen. The Pontifical Swiss Guard is the oldest active military unit in existence, founded in 1506. Their Renaissance-era uniforms (famously designed by Michelangelo, contrary to popular myth) and halberds project timeless loyalty. But behind the striped jerseys and medieval armor lies a modern intelligence and security force sworn to protect the Pope at all costs.

More explosively, in 2018, the Italian magazine L’Espresso published claims from former Swiss Guard officer . Gloor alleged that “a group of senior Vatican officials, including some close to the Pope, use their influence to recruit young guardsmen for sexual favors.” While Gloor later retracted some claims under Vatican threat of excommunication, he did not retract a specific statement: “The Swiss Guard commands two soldiers who were blackmailed after being filmed in private apartments of monsignors.” Because of this proximity to absolute spiritual power,

The official Vatican explanation: Tornay had been passed over for a decoration (the “Benemerenti” medal) and suffered from “psychological instability.” He killed Estermann and his wife in a fit of rage.

But the components of the string tell a story: (homosexuality), Vatican scandal , Swiss Guard , and Part New (a sequel or update). This suggests a deep curiosity about the alleged underground homosexual networks within the world’s smallest sovereign state, and specifically how they intersect with the Pope’s ancient, elite military corps—the Pontifical Swiss Guard. According to this version, Tornay had become obsessed,

In 2017, the Vatican police arrested Msgr. Lucio Ángel Vallejo Balda and Francesca Chaouqui for leaking documents. Those documents included references to a Swiss Guard member who testified before a Vatican tribunal that he had been sexually propositioned by a bishop during a Vatican-funded “spiritual retreat.”