Answer: The Sts. Peter and Paul Association was founded in 1971 by Pope Paul VI to find a new mission for the Palatine Guard—a military unit of the Pope disbanded a year earlier. The Sts. Peter and Paul Association is composed exclusively of Roman Catholics wishing to serve the Holy See. Their work is carried out through cultural, liturgical and charitable activities, mainly at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The association is attached to the Vatican’s Secretariat of State.

The Palatine Guard, the pope’s infantry corps composed exclusively of volunteers, was in charge of the security of Rome between 1850 and 1870. After the loss of the Papal States, the corps protected the pope. The Palatine Guard was one of the military corps disbanded along with the Noble Guard by Pope Paul VI in 1970, with the Holy See retaining only one military force: the Swiss Guard.

The anniversary stamp, designed by the very young British artist Liam Hipple, frames the final portion of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, where most of the association’s activities and service are concentrated, with Bernini’s canopy in the foreground, and the apse wall in the background. The illustration is completed by the coat of arms of the Association depicting the two Holy Apostles, chosen by Paul VI on the basis of a gilded votive glass dating back to the second half of the 4th century, currently preserved at the Vatican Museums.

CLICK HERE to view some interesting facts on
'Serving the Pope: Sts. Peter and Paul Association at 50'
by Andrea Barvi
on NationalCatholicRegister.com


Sts. Peter and Paul Association
50th Anniversary
1767 (2021)