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 Special Postmark: January 1, 2026 World Day of Peace January 1, New Year's Day, is the Solemnity Mary, the Holy Mother of God on the Liturgical Calendar. Also, each year, the Church celebrates World Day of Peace on January 1. This commemoration was was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967 and was first celebrated on January 1, 1968. For this 59th celebration of the World Day of Peace, the Vatican Post and Philately Service did not issue a stamp, but followed its tradition of issuing a special postmark, which is shown at the top of this article. The Vatican Post press release for the postmark highlights the following design elements: In preparation for the 59th World Day of Peace, on December 8 Pope Leo XIV published his message for the day, entitled “Peace be with you all: Towards an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace”. He opens with the following paragraph: “Peace be with you!” This ancient greeting, still in use today in many cultures, was infused with new life on the evening of Easter on the lips of the risen Jesus. “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19, 21) is his Word that does not merely desire peace, but truly brings about a lasting transformation in those who receive it, and consequently in all of reality. For this reason, the Apostles’ successors give voice every day throughout the world to the most silent of revolutions: “Peace be with you!” From the very evening of my election as Bishop of Rome, I have wanted to join my own greeting to this universal proclamation. And I would like to reiterate that this is the peace of the risen Christ – a peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. It comes from God who loves us all unconditionally.Following the introduction, the pope’s message is broken into three sections: He concludes his message with the following: ”May this be one of the fruits of the Jubilee of Hope, which has moved millions of people to rediscover themselves as pilgrims and to begin within themselves that disarmament of heart, mind and life. God will surely respond to this by fulfilling his promises: ‘He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord’ (Is 2, 4-5).”Although there has not been a specific stamp issued for the World Day of Peace since its inception, the 1997 Europa stamp followed the theme for the year--Peace and Freedom:  Europa 1995 Scott 972 The entire text of the pope’s World Peace Day message can be viewed by clicking on the reference link below. REFERENCES: |
