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Canadian Volunteers of the Pontifical Zouaves

Colonel Athanasede Charette of the Zouaves Pontificaux

This photo was taken in the U.S., suggesting he may be an American volunteer for the Pope's forces.

When it became clear that the Papal States, and the Holy See itself, were in danger from Italian forces, Pope Bl. Pius IX chose Monsignor Saverio de Merode to be Minister of War and prepare a defense force for the Patrimony of St Peter. De Merode was a Belgian who had experience as a soldier before being called to the priesthood. He quickly went to work building an army in the hopes of stopping, or even reversing, the gains of the liberals. With help from the Society of Jesus, De Merode waged a press campaign aimed at bringing the plight of the Papal States to the world's attention and encouraging the Faithful to come to the aid of their Church and the Pope.
The army was formed in 1860, with assistance from the part-time ally Napoleon III of France. Units were formed, including large groups of foreign volunteers. The most famous of which was probably the Zouaves Pontificaux, which included soldiers from 22 countries. The largest groups were Austrians, Swiss, Spaniards and Irish. The largest single national group was probably the French, drawn from the traditional royalists of that country. Most of the officers were such Frenchmen, and the unit also included 507 French Canadians; the first Candians to fight overseas. The zouves' commander was Colonel Athanasede Charette, a descendant of the

famous Francois de Charette of the Vendee counterrevolution. Monsignor De Merode chose another Frenchman, and a relative of his, General Christofano de Lamoriciere, to be the overall commander of the Papal Army. As a colonel Lamoriciere had won fame in the Algerian Wars and designed the grey uniform of the troops according to the popular style of the French light infantry.
General Lamorciere assumed his duties on Easter Day, 1860. In his first address to his soldiers he stated that the Risorgimonto (the liberal Italian movement) was a menace to Europe and that, "The cause of the Pope is that of civilization and the liberty of the world". However, such a holy office as the Papacy proved to be woefully unprepared for war. The army lacked maps, guns, horses, ambulances and supplies of every kind. There were also the inevitable clashes between the different

national volunteers and those recruited from the Papal States themselves. What they did have was faithful determination that they were fighting for the most just of causes.
In September, 1870, the Italian Army invaded and after a gallant but ultimately futile resistance the Papal States were conquered and the Pope was forced to surrender and go into self-imposed exile in the Vatican. However, the Zouves Pontificaux continued to serve, returning to France and joining the French Imperial Army in the Franco-Prussian War. They proved to be one of the best units in what was otherwise a humiliating defeat for the Second French Empire.

On the centenary of the Church call to arms reaching Quebec, the event was commemorated with a filmed re-creation of the period called "With Drums and Trumpets". The uniforms, rifles and medals of these volunteers can be seen today at the Canadian War Museum. Living historians in Europe also continue to commemorate the last time the Pope went to war.