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Pontificate of Pope Francis
Stamp Issues

Lou Giorgetti



Pope Francis Year II--MMXIV
Scott 1553-1556 (2014)

Beginning in 2014, and for each year of the pontificate of Pope Francis, there has been a Vatican City stamp issue bearing that title. There was also a set issued in 2013 to mark the start of his pontificate. Unlike the "Papal Travels" annual issue, which looks back at the apostolic journeys of the pope during the previous year, the annual "Pontificate" issue focuses on putting forth a message of importance to the pope for the year to come. The 2021 Pontificate Issue is a good example.

Released on February 21, 2021, the UFN release document states that the issue points to:
"chapter eight of the encyclical 'Fratelli tutti', where Pope Francis explains the contribution that different religions can offer to building a more fraternal world."
“Fratelli tutti” (meaning “All Brothers” or “Brothers and Sisters”) was the third encyclical promulgated by Pope Francis and was signed on October 3, 2020, during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subtitled "on fraternity and social friendship", Pope Francis draws the conclusion that the response to the pandemic by the countries of the world revealed a “failure of cooperation”, and he calls for more human fraternity and solidarity. One can see the roots of “Fratelli tutti” going back to the Second Vatican Council, which included goals of reconciliation within both the Christian and non-Christian churches as a means for improved global unity and peace. A Vatican News summary explaining the encyclical states:
"Fraternity and social friendship are the ways the Pontiff indicates to build a better, more just and peaceful world, with the contribution of all: people and institutions. With an emphatic confirmation of a ‘no’ to war and to globalized indifference".
The four stamps of the 2021 issue picture Pope Francis with representatives of various faiths, with photos taken during some of the apostolic journeys of his papacy:

Judaism: The 1.10 euro issue shows Pope Francis with the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Rav Riccardo Shemuel Di Segni, during the pope’s visit to the Synagogue of Rome on January 17, 2016:


Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021, Scott 1760


Islam: The 1.15 euro stamp has a photo of the pope with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayyib, taken during his apostolic journey to the United Arab Emirates on February 4, 2019:



Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021, Scott 1761


Buddhism: The 2.40 euro stamp depicts the pope with the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch, Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatanana IX, from the pope’s apostolic journey to Thailand on November 21, 2019:


Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021, Scott 1762


Hinduism: The 3.00 euro stamp portrays Pope Francis with the Hindu leader Ndu-Kurukkal SivaSri T. Mahadeva during the pope’s journey to Sri Lanka on January 13, 2015:


Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021, Scott 1763


REFERENCES:
  • UFN, March 21, 2014, Pope Francis Year II--MMXIV
  • UFN, February 22, 2021, Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021
  • Wikipedia, Fratelli tutti
  • Vatican News, October 4, 2020, “Fratelli tutti”: long summary of Pope Francis's Social Encyclical
  • Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search