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 Events Occurring on Divine Mercy Sunday: Beatification of Pope John Paul II (Scott 1471, 2011) Canonization of Pope John Paul II (Scott 1559, 2014) Today is the Sunday after Easter, which has been referred to under a few different names: Low Sunday, the Octave Day of Easter, and the Second Sunday of Easter (the liturgical calendar designation). In 2000, the Roman Catholic Church, under Pope John Paul II, officially designated this day as Divine Mercy Sunday. This day concludes the Octave of Easter, and the annual Lenten Station Church pilgrimage also comes to end, with the final visit taking place at the Basilica of San Pancrazio. The Feast of the Divine Mercy reflects the Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy which started with Saint Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun and mystic, who reported visions and visitations from Jesus in the early 1900’s. In His conversations, He asked Sister Faustina to paint “the vision of his merciful divinity being poured from his Sacred Heart”. Here is the first such presentation, a painting now located in the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Vilnius, Lithuania:  “Divine Mercy” Painting by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski (1934) From Wikipedia, in the Public Domain In addition, He also asked that a Feast of Divine Mercy be established on the first Sunday after Easter. Pope John Paul II actively promoted this cause. On April 30, 2000, the Second Sunday of Easter that year, he canonized Saint Faustina Kowalska, and the Second Sunday of Easter was officially designated as the Sunday of the Divine Mercy. One year later, Pope John Paul II stated: ”Jesus said to Sr Faustina one day: ‘Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy’. Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity.”The ties of Pope John Paul II to Divine Mercy Sunday are striking. He died on Saturday, April 2, 2005, which was the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday (April 3, 2005). He would be beatified on Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011 (by Pope Benedict XVI) and canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014 (by Pope Francis). This year, Divine Mercy Sunday falls on April 12, which has an additional connection to Pope Saint John Paul II. Two stamp sets were issued following his death, coincidentally on the same date, April 12. 
 Sede Vacante Issue Scott 1292-1294 (2005) The stamp set above, issued on April 12, 2005, was the Sede Vacante set released following his death. The UFN announcement for the stamps provides an excellent review of Sede Vacante stamps and can be accessed using the link in the references. The following text is taken from the release: ”On the day of April 2, 2005, the Holy Father John Paul II died. The Papal See is vacant….In this time, ordinary government is ensured by the Apostolic Camera, chaired by the Cardinal Camerlingo…The issue of Vacant Papal See stamps is intended to commemorate the event and ensure the continuity of the issue of postal stamps, to be used to send correspondence from Vatican City only during the period of the Vacant Papal See itself.”Six years later, on April 12, 2011, the Vatican City stamp that was issued to celebrate his upcoming beatification was released (Scott 1471, shown at the top of the article). The stamp, jointly issued with Poland, announced the beatification ceremony which was being held on May 1, 2011. Calls for the naming of the pope as a saint started immediately after his death, including shouts of "Santo Subito!" ("[Make him a] Saint Immediately!") during his funeral Mass. Pope Benedict XVI announced the start of the beatification process on May 12, 2005, citing John Paul's “reputation of holiness”. The review culminated in the raising of Pope John Paul II to the status of “Blessed” in 2011, and he was subsequently canonized by Pope Francis April 27, 2014.  Beatification of Pope John Paul II: Minisheet Scott 1471M (2011) REFERENCES: |
