"Van Doos" at the Vatican

A French Canadian regiment paraded before a Pope last week for the first time in 76 years. It was French Canada's famed "Van Doos," the Royal 22nd Regiment of Quebec, which has battle honors in two World Wars.* It had fought its way from Sicily with Britain's Eighth Army, and fought well.

The Van Doos, whose regimental colors are the red, blue and yellow of the Vatican's own Swiss Guard, paraded smartly, 800 strong, in St. Peter's piazza, then trooped down the Vatican's marble corridors to the Sala Clementina. There they greeted His Holiness with such a boisterous barrage of "Bravos!" that he stopped short, almost laughed outright in astonishment.

The Van Doos' colonel knelt to kiss the Pope's ring, receive his blessing. He was a grandson of a member of the last French Canadian regiment to parade before the Pope, le Regiment Canadien des Zouaves Pontificaux. This consisted of 505 French Canadian volunteers who crossed the Atlantic, helped defend papal Rome in a five-hour fight against Garibaldi. They returned home heroes to their fellow French Canadians. Of the original 505, five are still living. The oldest is Montreal's Georges Charbonneau, 96, who still proudly wears his uniform on Zouave Day.

Last week the Pope recalled French Canada's devotion to the Holy See when he talked to the Van Doos. He gave les Canadiens his blessing, praised their courage, sent them on their way in almost unneutral affection. Said His Holiness to the Van Doos: "Notre coeur vous suit" (Our heart goes with you).

* "Van Doos"--from the regimental number, vingt-deux.

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