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 Sede Vacante stamps issued following the death of Pope John XXIII Scott 362-364 (1963) On June 3, 1963, Pope John XXIII passed away due to stomach cancer. His death initiated a period of Sede Vacante, which translated from the Latin means time of the empty throne. On June 15, 1963, the set of three Sede Vacante stamps shown above was issued by Vatican City. Sede Vacante is used to describe the state of a diocese when its seat of authority is vacant due to the bishop’s or pope’s death or resignation. As this applies to the Holy See, after the death or resignation of a pope, the particular church within the Diocese of Rome with the vacant seat is the cathedral of Saint John Lateran, the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome. The period of time during which the state of Sede Vacante exists is referred to as the interregnum. During this time, the Holy See is administered by a regency of the College of Cardinals. Following the funeral Mass for the deceased pope, the particulars for the election of the new pope are determined. The College of Cardinals then meets in a papal conclave to elect a successor. Once a new pope has been elected, the Sede Vacante period officially ends. During the Sede Vacante period, administrative functions within the Holy See continue, under the limited control of the College of Cardinals. One such function is the postal administration of the Vatican City State, which prepares and issues the special Sede Vacante stamps for use during this particular period. These stamps bear the coat of arms of the Holy See for the Sede Vacante period, which is known as the umbraculum. In the umbraculum, the papal tiara normally seen in the papal coat of arms is replaced by the umbrella over the crossed keys of Saint Peter. Once the Sede Vacante period ends, these stamps are no longer valid for postal use. Since the beginning of Vatican City philately in 1929, up to and including 2025, eight sets of Sede Vacante stamps have been issued: Death of Pope Pius XI (Scott 61-67), 1939 Death of Pope Pius XII (Scott 247-249), 1958 Death of Pope John XXIII (Scott 362-364), 1963 Death of Pope Paul VI (Scott 635-637), 1978 Death of Pope John Paul I (Scott 638-640), 1978 Death of Pope John Paul II (Scott 1292-1294), 2005 Retirement of Pope Benedict XVI (Scott 1519-1522), 2013 Death of Pope Francis (2025, three stamp set--Scott numbers not yet assigned) REFERENCES: |
