Employees of the Floreria Apostolica carry the pope's throne during a ceremony celebrated by Pope Francis in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on December 24; 2013. Behind: statue of Saint Helena (Sainte Helene).- The Vatican is the planet's smallest State. Some 2;000 employees cross over the Santa Anna gate each morning at around 7 am; the gateway guarded both by the Swiss Guards and the vigilenzia (Vatican police force). Not all of them work at the Vatican by vocation; but many admit that a deep personal connection to the Pope has motivated their choice of work.