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  <h1 class='Shead1'>Vatican Stamp Notes</h1>
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<center>
  <h2 class='Shead'>Pontificate of Pope Francis<br>Stamp Issues</h2><br>
      Lou Giorgetti<br><br></center>

<center>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1553.jpg'>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1554.jpg'>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1555.jpg'>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1556.jpg'><br>
<b>Pope Francis Year II--MMXIV<br>
Scott 1553-1556 (2014)</b></center>
<br>
Beginning in 2014, and for each year of the pontificate of Pope Francis, there was a Vatican City stamp issue bearing that title.  There was also a set issued in 2013 to mark the start of his pontificate.  Unlike the "Papal Travels" annual issue, which looks back at the apostolic journeys of the pope during the previous year, the annual "Pontificate" issue focused on putting forth a message of importance to the pope for the year to come.  The 2021 Pontificate Issue provides a good example.
<br><br>
Released on February 21, 2021, the UFN release document states that the issue points to:
<blockquote>
<i>"chapter eight of the encyclical 'Fratelli tutti', where Pope Francis explains the contribution that different religions can offer to building a more fraternal world."</i>
</blockquote>
“Fratelli tutti” (meaning “All Brothers” or “Brothers and Sisters”) was the third encyclical promulgated by Pope Francis and was signed on October 3, 2020, during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Subtitled "on fraternity and social friendship", Pope Francis drew the conclusion that the response to the pandemic by the countries of the world revealed a “failure of cooperation”, and he called for more human fraternity and solidarity.  One can see the roots of “Fratelli tutti” going back to the Second Vatican Council, which included goals of reconciliation within both the Christian and non-Christian churches as a means for improved global unity and peace.  A <i>Vatican News</i> summary explaining the encyclical states:
<blockquote>
<i>"Fraternity and social friendship are the ways the Pontiff indicates to build a better, more just and peaceful world, with the contribution of all: people and institutions. With an emphatic confirmation of a ‘no’ to war and to globalized indifference".</i>
</blockquote>
The four stamps of the 2021 issue picture Pope Francis with representatives of various faiths, with photos taken during some of the apostolic journeys of his papacy:
<br><br>
<b>Judaism:</b>  The 1.10 euro issue shows Pope Francis with the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Rav Riccardo Shemuel Di Segni, during the pope’s visit to the Synagogue of Rome on January 17, 2016:
<br><br>
	    						    			    			    			    			    			    <center>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1760.jpg'>
<br><b>Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021, Scott 1760</b></center>
<br><br>
<b>Islam:</b>  The 1.15 euro stamp has a photo of the pope with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayyib, taken during his apostolic journey to the United Arab Emirates on February 4, 2019:
<br><br>
<center>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1761.jpg'>
<br><b>Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021, Scott 1761</b></center>
<br><br>
<b>Buddhism:</b>  The 2.40 euro stamp depicts the pope with the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch, Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatanana IX, from the pope’s apostolic journey to Thailand on November 21, 2019:
<br><br>
<center>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1762.jpg'>
<br><b>Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021, Scott 1762</b></center>
<br><br>
<b>Hinduism:</b>  The 3.00 euro stamp portrays Pope Francis with the Hindu leader Ndu-Kurukkal SivaSri T. Mahadeva during the pope’s journey to Sri Lanka on January 13, 2015:
<br><br>
<center>
<img height='175' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1763.jpg'>
<br><b>Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021, Scott 1763</b></center>
<br><br>
It appears that this new tradition of annual "Pontificate" stamps will continue for Pope Leo XIV.  The press release announcing the stamps for 2026 includes a listing entitled "Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV MMXXVI (2026)".  The theme for this set was not revealed in the press release.  If recent history serves as a guide, this set will be issued with the release of the first quarter stamps, usually seen in late February or early March.
<br><br>
<b>REFERENCES:</b><br>
<li>UFN, March 21, 2014, <a href='https://vaticanstamps.org/UFN/images/2014-2-02-1.jpg'>Pope Francis Year II--MMXIV</a><br>
<li>UFN, February 22, 2021, <a href='https://www.vaticanstamps.org/UFN/images/2021-2-01-1.jpg'>Pontificate of Pope Francis 2021</a><br>
<li>Wikipedia, <a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fratelli_tutti'>Fratelli tutti</a><br>
<li>Vatican News, October 4, 2020, <a href='https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/fratelli-tutti-pope-fraternity-social-friendship-long-summary.html'>“Fratelli tutti”: long summary of Pope Francis's Social Encyclical</a><br>
<li>Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search
<br><br>

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