Tag: Vatican stamp

Pope John Paul II was known for his many journeys. In the early years it could almost be likened to barnstorming with up to 8 events a day. Todays much older Popes try for a less tiring two audiences a day while traveling. Keeping the operation smooth so His Eminance can achieve his goals sometimes proves difficult. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult berverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

The image chosen for this stamp marking the 10 hour 1985 visit to the Liechtenstein is quite traditional with well scrubbed children in folk attire receiving an audience and blessing. It does not display the issue of the trip, whether abortion restrictions should be abandoned.

Todays stamp is issue A236, a 500 Lira stamp issued by Vatican City on October 27th, 1987. It was an 8 stamp issue in various denominations marking trips Pope John Paul II had made in 1985 and 1986. According to the Scott catalog. the stamp is worth 40 cents used.

A Papal visit is planned several years in advance. The process starts with an invitation from both the country and the local Catholic church. In this case the invitation was accepted, Liechtenstein was a traditional, 85 percent Catholic country that had only just gave women the right to vote. There was a worry that via a referendum the rules against abortion would be liberalized. The Pope thus decided to visit and make the arguement for keeping the standards.

A Vatican team of about 15 than makes a pre visit to prioritize the possible events and map out the logistics. On this trip the Pope had special audiences with Catholic youth and the Royal Family. 20 staffers including 6 security agents were part of the Pope’s entourage. They also made room for about 30 journalist.

This was in some ways a strange visit. The entire country had only 26,000 people at the time. The crowds at the Papal events were estimated at over 30,000. It was also a country with a very high standard of living and little poverty. It was estimated that there were 6 unemployed among the workforce of 16,000. The Pope threaded the line carefully acknowledging the achievement while displaying concern that wealth can led to apostasy.

The abortion restrictions in Liechtenstein were the strictest in Europe. It was only allowed in cases of extreme medical distress of the mother or in cases of rape where the victim is below the age of 14. Violating the rules would result in 2 years in jail and loss of medical license by the doctor and one year in jail for the mother. Those that advocated changing the law estimated that 50 women and girls a year crossed the border to obtain a legal, safe abortion.

Pope John Paul II made some of his most direct statements against abortion in Liechtenstein. He described abortion as a repulsive crime and urged people to save the unborn human from the threat of the born man who would usurp the unborn’s rights by killing in the womb. He further said it was the duty of Christian politicians to stand up for the teachings of the Church which he pledged would never change. He received a pledge from then Prince Regent Hans Adam to veto an unCatholic outcome in any referendum.

It was thought at the time the referendum to change the abortion law would come very soon. In fact, it did not come until 2011 when a referendum to allow abortion up to 13 weeks and in cases where the child will have a disability was defeated with 52 percent against. The Prince Regent, by then Alois, did not have to use his veto. He said he would have.

Well my drink is empty. Come again on Monday when there will be another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

The Vatican does not lack for items of beauty to display. The important thing to communicate is that the item often conveys a Holy meaning beyond merely the aesthetics. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Vatican postage stamps are not surprisingly printed in Rome. Nearby Vienna is more well known for skill of stamp design and production but carries perhaps too much baggage regarding “Holy” Roman history. The Rome based  engravers did seem to take extra effort on the Vatican stamp issues.

Todays stamp is issue A135, a 220 Lira stamp issued by Vatican City on June 15th, 1967. It was a four stamp issue in various denominations honoring the 1900th anniversary of the martyrdom of Disciples and Saints Peter and Paul. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents.

The land on which Saint Peter was martyred in Rome was owned by a Christian woman named Lucina. She had built a tropaeum that became a site for veneration of Peter. In the late days of the Roman Empire, A Basilica was built on the expanded site. The Basilica was one of the four major ones located in Rome and the only one outside the walls of Vatican City. Outside the Walls is sometimes included in it’s title. It is still owned by the Vatican and considered their territory in the manner of a foreign embassy.

The Basilica has been the recipient of a few challenges over it’s many years. In it’s first hundred years it was heavily damaged by a lightning strike. In 846 AD, Rome and the Basilica were sacked by Arab raiders called the Saracens. The raiders did not penetrate the walls of Vatican City so the position outside was critical. In 1823 there was a huge fire during a renovation that required a total rebuilding. The alter had been constructed over Saint Peters sarcophagus, making it impossible to see or touch. This was remedied, if that’s what you want to call it by making it visible on one side recently. The Church must be fairly confident that there will not be a visit by modern Saracens.

For most of the life of the Basilica, it was the home of the Latin Patriarch of the Egyptian city of Alexandra. The city went vast majority Muslim many years ago. The Christian community  however was divided between allegiance to Rome or Constantinople after the Eastern schism within the church upon the breaking in two of the by then Christian Roman Empire. The argument over the Egyptian Coptics went on for 1000 years until 20th century Catholics first left the position empty and then abolished it. The Basilica is currently managed by an Archpriest. Today that is Cardinal James Michael Harvey, from Milwaukee, USA.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast the city of Rome. The presence of the Papal enclave has added many complications to the city over the many years. Come again tomorrow when there will be another story to be learned from stamp collecting.

Today we have a story of how a church used great artists to tell its prophetic stories and in this case jeremiads. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and  sit back in your most comfortable chair. Enjoy todays offering from The Philatelist.

What can you say about this stamp aesthetically. The Catholic Church had the benefit of some of the greatest artists in history to help them illustrate their Holy message. The image on the stamp today is the Prophet Jeremiah by Michelangelo and taken from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The printing job on the stamp is also quite good. This means that in no time you will want to learn more about Jeremiah. To think of how many people through the centuries have come across Michelangelo’s work and been inspired to learn the story of Jeremiah is mind blowing. Truly God’s hand at work.

The stamp today is issue A121, a 40 lira stamp issued by Vatican City on June 16th, 1964. It shows the Prophet Jeremiah as painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It was part of a 5 stamp issue in various denominations that showed the Sistine Chapel  work of Michelangelo on the 400th anniversary of his death. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents. This is true whether the stamp is mint or used or which stamp of the set you have. 25 cents seems to be the minimum catalog value of a stamp. This proves that value does not equate to the beauty or history contained within. By these measures, the stamp is worth much more.

Jeremiah lived in Judea around 600 years BC. It was a time when the Kingdom was corrupt and rife with the worship of false Gods. Jeremiah prophesized that the wickedness would lead to the Kingdom being conquered and sacked by the Babylonians. Most other spiritual leaders at the time were predicting a peaceful future. Naturally Jeremiah’s message was not well received and people around the King had him thrown in a cistern and left for dead. He was saved by a passerby but then was imprisoned. His prophecy then came to pass and Babylon conquered Judea and freed Jeremiah. He then wrote out his prophesies in the Biblical books Jerimiah, Kings, and Lamentations.

Jeremiah is remembered as a Jewish prophet. He is also remembered by Christians as seeing the need for a new covenant with God. His stories also have a place in Islamic History. His lamentations also lead directly to the English and French word jeremiad, which means a cautionary or angry harangue.

The Sistine Chapel ceiling was painted by Michelangelo around 1510 as a result of a Papal commission. It is considered a milestone in High Renaissance art. A always lamenting Jeremiah has also been imagined by other great artists including Rembrandt.

Well my drink is empty and so I will open up the conversation in the below comment section. Angry jeremiads that everything is going to hell and the end is near is as common today as any other time. If they are as correct as Jeremiah turned out, at least we can hope the some great future art will be inspired. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.