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Pope John Paul II reigned as pope of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State for 26 years from October 1978 to his death on 2 April 2005. Since his death, many thousands of people had supported the case for beatifying and canonizing Pope John Paul II as a saint. His formal beatification ceremony took place on 1 May 2011, the second Sunday of Easter. That Sunday was also Divine Mercy Sunday, a devotion promoted by John Paul II. 
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 On 12 April Vatican City and Poland jointly issued a special stamp in recognition of the beatification of Pope John Paul II held on 1 May 2011 in Rome. The Vatican City issue included a €0,75 stamp contained in a miniature sheet of six stamps, a stamp and €0,50 coin card, and a folder containing the miniature sheet, the stamp and coin card, and an envelope with the stamp bearing a 1 May 2011 cancellation. The stamp was designed by Polish artist Marianna Dabrowska and contains an image of Pope John Paul II with his arm raised in greeting or benediction. An image of Jesus is included in the stamp's design as well as the columned portico of St. Peter's Basilica. The miniature sheet contains the Pope's coat of arm as well as an inscription in Italian and Polish referencing the date of beatification and the joint issue. The coin bears the image of John Paul II. Vatican City announced that 22 October will be the feast day for John Paul II in Rome and dioceses in Poland. The date coincides with his 1978 papal ecclesiastical investiture in Rome.

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