Answer: Pope John Paul II
On November 29, 1984, Argentina and Chile signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in Vatican City, ending a long-standing territorial dispute over the Beagle Channel that had brought the two nations to the brink of war in 1978. The Holy See, under the leadership of Pope John Paul II, played a decisive role in mediating the conflict after receiving a joint appeal from the Episcopal Conferences of both countries. The Pope appointed Cardinal Antonio Samoré as his personal envoy, and through years of patient diplomacy, the Vatican helped broker a peaceful resolution. The treaty marked a historic commitment by both nations to renounce the use of force, respect international law, and promote bilateral cooperation in a spirit of mutual understanding and faith. Pope Francis later praised this achievement as a model of peaceful conflict resolution, urging world leaders to embrace “the courage of peace” and the perseverance of dialogue.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of this landmark agreement, the Vatican issued a special postage stamp and postmark on November 25, 2024, with a face value of €2.45. The stamp features the Foreign Ministers of Argentina and Chile, along with representatives of their Episcopal Conferences, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, who received them in audience the day after the treaty’s signing. Printed by Printex in Malta using four-color offset on white, gummed paper, the stamp measures 40.5 by 31 millimeters and is perforated 13.7 by 13.8. It was issued in sheets of ten, with a total print run of 23,000 stamps. Accompanying the stamp is a special circular postmark, 38 millimeters in diameter, depicting a stylized image of the handshake between the two Foreign Ministers, symbolically overshadowed by the hand of Cardinal Agostino Casaroli to represent the Holy See’s mediating role. The postmark includes the inscriptions “40° ANNIVERSARIO DELLA FIRMA DEL TRATTATO DI PACE E AMICIZIA TRA ARGENTINA E CILE,” “POSTE VATICANE,” and “DIE EMISSIONIS 25.11.2024.” It was used at the “Arco delle Campane” post office in Vatican City on the day of issue.
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