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 Canonization of Saints Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II Souvenir Sheet, Scott 1558 (2014) April 27, 2024, marks the tenth anniversary of the joint canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II. It was truly a historic event for the Catholic Church. Not only were they two recent popes who were certainly remembered in life by many in 2014 (representing two of the six popes to have served since 1959), the canonization Mass was celebrated by Pope Francis and concelebrated by his immediate predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. It was a truly remarkable and memorable event. In his homily, Pope Francis praised the new saints as men of courage and mercy, who responded to the monumental challenges of their time by both modernizing the Church and remaining true to its bedrock traditions. Quoting Pope Francis: "They were priests, bishops, and popes of the 20th century. They lived through the tragic events of that century, but they were not overwhelmed by them. For them, God was more powerful."Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Roncalli on November 25, 1881, and died on June 3, 1963) and Pope John Paul II (born Karol Wojtyla on May 18, 1920, and died on April 2, 2005) were two beloved and popular popes. The quiet Pope John XXIII projected a grandfatherly image on his flock. The young and energetic Pope John Paul II would be seen in person by untold millions of people during his globe-trotting pontificate. They are probably most remembered for their roles in two major events of the twentieth century—one ecumenical, one secular. Pope John XXIII will be forever remembered for convening the Second Vatican Council (attended by a young bishop from Poland, Karol Wojtyla). Pope John Paul II, elevated to pope following the tragically short pontificate of Pope John Paul I, stood down the evils of communism, first in his native Poland and then across the rest of Eastern Europe, to help usher in the post-Cold War era. The canonization of Saints Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II were amply documented by the Vatican Post Office. The stamps and souvenir sheets commemorating the event illustrate this article and provide an artistic remembrance of a historic day at the Vatican. 
 Left: Canonization of Saint Pope John XXIII (Scott 1557) Right: Canonization of Saint Pope John Paul II (Scott 1559, 2016) Scott 1557 was issued jointly with Italy 
 Souvenir Sheets for the Canonization of Saint Pope John Paul II: Left: Multicolored (Scott 1560) Right: Bister (Scott 1561) Scott 1558 to 1561 were issued jointly with Poland REFERENCES: |
