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 First Group Canonization Aerogramme 2022 On March 10, 2022, Vatican City issued its annual aerogramme commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first group canonization. On March 12, 1622, at Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Gregory XV canonized five new Saints: Isidore, a farmer from Madrid devoted to charity and prayer, Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite Sister, Philip Neri, the founder of the Oratory bearing his name, Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), and Francis Xavier, a second Jesuit founder. Initially, the canonization ceremony was to concern Isidore alone. However, in January 1622, the process for the canonization of the other four blessed was almost concluded. The Congregation of Rites thus decided to celebrate a multiple canonization. This was the first ceremony in the history of the Congregation, established in 1588, which involved the canonization of multiple saints. The ceremony was significant, given the nature of the event and the notoriety of the five Saints honored. For that reason, Vatican City released its aerogramme for 2022 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of this group canonization. The illustration of the aerogramme reproduces the detail of a painting commissioned by Antonio Antonacci about ten years after the canonization. The work is by an unknown artist and depicts the five Saints at the bottom of the painting. The work is preserved at the church of the Convent of Santa Maria di Loreto in Toro. The postal indicia for the aerogramme is one side of the medal coined for the event, which characterized the second year of the pontificate of Pope Gregory XV. A detail of the indicia is shown below:  Postal Indicia Aerogram 2022 REFERENCES: |
