Three Swiss Guards who protect the Pope and Vatican have returned to Switzerland after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, said a spokesman for the Guard. “Three members of the Guard have chosen not to adhere to that request, voluntarily leaving the corps,″ Lt. Urs Breitenmoser told The Associated Press, saying the Vatican asked the Swiss Guards to receive the vaccine to “protect their health and that of the others they come into contact with as part of their service.” Several other Swiss Guardsmen were temporarily suspended from duty while they await their vaccination, he said. For centuries, the Swiss Guards—who perform a mostly ceremonial function—have served as the de facto military of the Vatican. Since the early 1980s, after the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, more emphasis has been placed on the Guards’ nonceremonial role, and are now trained in small arms and unarmed combat. Recruits to the guards …