May 6: A Day of Honor, History, and Fictional Echoes

May 6: A Day of Honor, History, and Fictional Echoes

On this day in 1527, during the brutal Sack of Rome, 147 members of the Swiss Guard gave their lives defending Pope Clement VII. The last stand at St. Peter’s Basilica remains one of the most stirring moments of loyalty and sacrifice in Vatican history. To this day, May 6 is when new Swiss Guards are sworn in, honoring those who fell in defense of the papacy nearly 500 years ago.

Pope Clement VII, a Medici by birth and a pope by destiny, was a man caught in a time of shifting alliances and perilous politics. His story—and that of the young guards who protected him—has inspired centuries of reverence and reflection.

It also inspired award-winning author David Eugene Perry in his acclaimed novel Upon This Rock. In this modern-day Vatican thriller, the memory of Clement VII and the valor of the Swiss Guard are more than footnotes—they’re integral to a gripping mystery that weaves past and present. One of the central characters, a young Swiss Guard named Gio, stands as both a protector of truth and a bridge to the complex legacy of Vatican history.

And history is catching up with fiction.

Tomorrow, on May 7, 2025, the world will watch as a new conclave gathers to choose the successor to Pope Francis, who also makes a memorable and moving appearance in Upon This Rock. In a scene that feels all the more poignant this week, Francis personally blesses the novel’s protagonists—two gay detectives from San Francisco—with the words: “Who am I to judge?”

As the Vatican prepares to write a new chapter, Upon This Rock reminds us that the past is always present. It lives in the oaths taken, the sacrifices remembered, and the stories that make us ask what it means to serve, to love, and to lead.

Discover the book here: https://a.co/d/fFfaj25