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Pope Francis announced a Holy Year of Mercy, beginning 8 December 2015 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) and continuing until 20 November 2016 (Solemnity of Christ the King). To mark the Jubilee of Mercy, ten stamps (two stamps each on five different occasions from 19 November 2015 to 17 November 2016) were issued focusing on the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy. Eight commemorative Jubilee of Mercy stamps were reviewed to date. On 17 November 2016 the final two stamps, "burying the dead" and "solemnity of Christ the King", were issued and reviewed below. This completes the series of ten stamps issued to focus on the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy and to mark the Jubilee of Mercy. The final two stamps in the Jubilee of Mercy series were designed by artist Danicla Fusco, who used considerable symbolism. The €0,95 value depicts symbols of burial and resurrection, an angel, heavenly life, a candle and a rose, and a door of a tomb, the passage to eternal life. The broken column represents the transitory nature of life, and the peacock symbolizes the soul's immortality. The €1,00 stamp depicts Christ the King, with Jesus giving a blessing. In the background is the Holy Door, symbolizing the Jubilee of Mercy which concluded on the Feast of Christ the King. The stamps were printed in sheets of ten. UFN also released a folder for the conclusion of the Year of Mercy. The cover depicts St. Peter's Square filled with pilgrims. The folder contains four covers with special cancels marking the Jubilee of Mercy, representing this joint issue by Vatican City, Italy, San Marino, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1637 - 1638 Date Issued - 17 November 2016 Face Value - €0,95, €1,00 Perforations - 14x15 Printing Process - Offset Printer - BDT (Ireland) Max Printed - 150,000 |
| (Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 65 Issue: 371 Page: 4-6) |
