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The four popes from the mid-20th century cover the years 1939 to 1978. Both during and following the papacies of each of these popes, many stamps have been issued portraying each of them. The one exception would be Pope John Paul I: no stamps picturing him were issued during his short reign as Bishop of Rome. The stamps shown represent a small sampling of those issued picturing each pope. In addition to stamps issued during their pontificates, this review includes some stamps issued following their deaths to commemorate important events tied to these popes. Pius XII: elected pope in 1939, the former Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli had served many diplomatic roles in the Holy See, including Secretary of State. Officially neutral during World War II, the role of the pope and the Vatican remain subjects of controversy. During a pontificate that lasted until 1958, he issued 41 papal encyclicals. Following World War II, he attempted to deal with the rising threat of communism in Europe and its effect on the Church, particularly in countries falling within the Soviet bloc. In addition to the stamps shown below, Pius XII appeared on stamps from other commemorative issues released during his papacy that have been presented in earlier excerpts of this series.  Election of Pope Pius XII 150th Anniversary of the L'Osservatore Romano Issue Scott 1478e (2011) 
 Coronation of Pope Pius XII Scott 68-71 (1939) 
 Pope Pius XII: Small Medallions Issue Scott 73-76 (1940) 
 Brussels World's Fair Scott 239 and 242 (1958)  Brussels World's Fair, Souvenir Sheet Scott 242a (1958) John XXIII: elected at the conclave of 1958, John XXIII served five years as pope until his death in 1963. Called the “Good Pope”, he is remembered for opening the Second Vatican Council, which would usher in major changes within the Catholic Church, his goal being to modernize the Church. He was canonized a Saint in 2014.  Election of Pope John XXIII 150th Anniversary of the L'Osservatore Romano Issue Scott 1478f (2011) 
 Coronation of Pope John XXIII Scott 250-253 (1959)  Pope John XXIII: Corporal Works of Mercy Issue Scott 291 (1960)< 
 Pope John XXIII: Opening of the Second Vatican Council Scott 348 and 350 (1962)  Pope John XXIII, 50th Anniversary of Death Scott 1531 (2013)  Canonization of Saint Pope John XXIII: Canonization Scott 1557 (2014) Paul VI: elected to succeed Pope John XXIII, the former Cardinal Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini took the name Paul VI. He would become known as the “Pilgrim Pope”, being the first pope to travel extensively outside Italy, first with a historic trip to the Holy Land in 1964 (the first of his nine foreign trips). As a result, a number of Vatican City stamps were issued that are tied to his travels, firsts in the history of Vatican City stamps. He is also remembered for completing the Second Vatican Council in 1965 and his work to implement its reforms. His pontificate ran from 1963 to 1978, and he was canonized by Pope Francis in 2018.  Election of Pope Paul VI 150th Anniversary of the L'Osservatore Romano Issue Scott 1478g (2011) 
 Coronation of Pope Paul VI Scott 365-368 (1963) 
 
 Travels of Pope Paul VI Holy Land (Scott 375, 1964) Bombay, India (Scott 403, 1964) New York and the United Nations (Scott 383, 1964 and Scott 419, 1965) Fatima, Portugal (Scott 457, 1967) Bogata, Columbia (Scott 461, 1968) Uganda (Scott 474, 1969) Asia, Australian and Oceania (Scott 495, 1970) 
 Pope Paul VI: Works of Man Issue Scott 423 and E18 (1966)  Pope Paul VI: Second Vatican Council Scott 444 (1966)  50th Anniversary of the Encyclical "Populorum Progressio" Scott 1660 (2017)  Saint Pope Paul VI: Canonization and 40th Anniversary of Death Scott 1557 (2014) John Paul I: Cardinal Albino Luciani was elected to succeed Pope Paul VI in August of 1978. He was the first pope to choose a two-name papal title to honor his immediate predecessors. Known as the “Smiling Pope”, he served as pontiff for only 33 days, dying on September 28, 1978. His was the 11th-shortest recorded papacy. Due to the brevity of his time as pope, no stamps of John Paul I were issued during his papacy (unlike the other post-1929 popes). The first stamps picturing John Paul I were released on December 11, 1978, more than three months after his death. Since that time, a number of stamps have been released depicting "The Smiling Pope". His cause for sainthood is marked by his beatification by Pope Francis in 2022.  Election of Pope John Paul I 150th Anniversary of the L'Osservatore Romano Issue Scott 1478h (2011) 
 Pope John Paul I Scott 641-644 (1978)  Pope John Paul I: Centennial of Birth Scott 1505 (2012)  Pope John Paul I: 40th Anniversary of Death Scott 1690 (2018)  Beatification of Pope John Paul I Scott 1802 (2022) |
