Pontificate of Pope Francis - 2016

2016 with Pope Francis: Throughout the three years of his Pontificate, Pope Francis has shown that he does not address problems through laws, but by "initiating processes" involving many people. (Source: RomeReports.com) 1. On his first day as pope, he personally collected his luggage and paid for his own hotel room. That demonstrated that everyone should take responsibility for themselves, and that the age of privileges was over. 2. He settled in "Casa Santa Marta." The Pope does not want to live in an ivory tower. 3. Pope appeals to the infinite value of every human being, and he shows it by hugging and smiling with those displaced in society. 4. He has not visited the parishes in the center of Rome, but instead has gone to the marginalized churches. 5. When large meetings include testimonies, the Pope does not read his prepared speech, but changes it based on what he has heard. 6. He answers questions freely, without fear of being wrong, and is unafraid to confront sensitive issues. 7. He has created a council of 9 Cardinals that help him govern and ensure that any bishop has direct access to the Pope. 8. He has instituted a commission to prevent sexual abuse cases. 9. He has refined the Vatican bank. The 2016 issue honoring the pontificate of Pope Francis and the Jubilee Year of Mercy consisted of four stamps, with values covering mail to Italy (€0,95), to Europe/ Mediterranean (€1,00), to the Americas (€2,30), and to the Far East/Oceania (€3,00). The 300,000 stamps were printed in sheets of ten. Also released were 100,000 miniature sheets containing one of each of the four new issues. The stamps depict photographs of the Holy Father during pontifical celebrations during 2015 such as the Synod of Bishops, two general audiences, and the Feast of SS Peter & Paul. The miniature sheet depicts the four stamps against a background of St. Peter's Basilica and the city of Rome. The stamps and the miniature sheet are inscribed with lvbilaevm Misericordiae - Year of Mercy. Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1617 - 1620a Date Issued - 01 February 2016 Face Value - €0,95, €1,00, €2,30, €3,00 Perforations - 13x13.25 Printing Process - Offset Printer - Cartor (France) Max Printed - 300,000

(Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 64 Issue: 368 Page: 4-6 RomeReports.com)