Evening star., 1944-12-17
1tanPs
BY James Waido Fawcen.

By James Waldo Fawcen.
Henry A. Gieffers. writing for the
Catholic Welfare Confer
ence News Service. discusses the
postage stamps of Vatican City as
follows:
The Treaty OF the Lateran. con-
cluded in Rome on February IL.
1929, between the Holy See and
Italy, re-estabhshed temporal
realm to the Popes and one of the
first acts of sovereignty performed
by the Vatican State was the issue
of stamps
Although the state of the city
of the Vatican Is the smallest SOW
ereign state in the world, its area
being only 1.6 square miles, 1t has
the most modern equipment, its own
railroad and station, its own radio
station and its own telephone, post
and telegraph Office
'On August /, 1929, exercising
one of its prerogatives as an inde-
pendent and sovereign country, the
Vatican released the first issue OF
its own stamps. After the provi-
sional series of 1929, the Poste Vati-
cane Vatican Nails released the
definitive series in 1888 that is still
in use, except for those values with
the coat of arms and the portrait
of the late Pope Plus XII. These
stamps now bear the coat of arms
of the reigning pontiff, His HoD-
ness Pope Plus XII, and his por-
trait.
The other values of this series
OF 1888 show pictorial views of the
Vatican palace from ST. Peters
Square, the dome of st. Peter from
the Vatican gardens, and on the
three highest values the frontal
view of the famous and we'll known
facade of st. Peters. A very at
tractive special delivery set of two
stamps completes the definitive
series. On both is represented a
picturesque sirplane view of Vati-
can City, with the dome st. Peters.
The same year, 1888, brought a
special issue: Ammo Santo holy
Year, in commemoration of the 18th
centenary since the sacrifice of Our
Lord on the Gross. The design OF
these four stamps shows high Cross
standing on the Orb against an oval
radiant background with the Latin
inscription: o Crux, Ave Spes Unica
% Gross, we hail Thee, our Hope.
This symbolism also is featured
in the later issues. SO the release
commemorating the International
Juridical Congress in Rome in 1884
shows on the three lower values EN-
peror Justinian receiving the Pam
dects from Tribonium. while the
three higher values depict Pope
Gregory TX promulgating Decretals.
Allegoric designs of doves with
ringing bell and of church with an
open Bible and newspapers in the
foreground, adorn four of an issue
| of eight stamps commemora ting the
Catholic Press Conference of 1886.
| The remaining values of this issue
show fine portraits of the popular
saints: st. John BoSco and st.
Francis de Sales.
On the occasion of the Interna-
tional Congress of Christian Archae-
ology held in Rome in 1888, the
Vatican reminds the world of the
early centuries in the 2,000-year his
tory OF the church through the issue
OF colorful set of stamps showing
on three values the crypt of St.
Cecilia in the Catacombs of St.
Sebastian on the Appian Way. while
the other values present q view of
the interior OF the Basilica OF ST.
Petronilla.
| Very attractive and again SYM
bolic in design is the series of eight
airmal values, which were issued
lin 1888. Two show st. Peter with
the traditional keys standing in
front of the church, two bear 4
white dove with an olive branch in
its beak, two have the design of
the horse-driven carriage of the
Prophet Elias, while the last two
show Our Lady of Loreto, patroness
of aviation, and the transportation
of the Holy House of Nazareth.
Additional releases of parcel post
stamps, dues and surcharges COM
plete the issues up to the death OF
Pope Plus XI. During the inter-
regnum, that is for the period OF
the vacant see, a special issue was
created by overprinting the first
seven stamps of the above-men-
toned provisional set of 1929 with
the words. .Sede Vacante'
The first stamps issued under
Pope Plus XII are known as the
Coronation stamps because these
four stamps depict the dramatic
moment when the nov reigning
Pontiff was crowned with the ponti-
fetal tiara on the outer balcony
of ST. Peters Basilica by Cardinal
Caccia Dominioni on March IL,
1889.
Only one year later, on the date
of the first anniversary of the coro-
nation, a new set of stamps was
issued showing the portrait of Pope
Plus XII on four values, while the
5 centesimi value presents the coat
of arms of the new Pontiff.
The next issue occurred in 1912
and is most impressive on account
of the religious motive of the design.
1t was intended to help raise addi-
tional funds for the Papal War
Prisoners Relief Work This highly
charitable work finds an appropri-
ate expression in the fitting design,
which shows number of persons
from all walks of life standing in a
! group, while the head of Jesus Christ
radiates from the sky in the back
ground. The concise and appropri-
ate Latin inscription reads: Fla
granite Bello Misereor Super Turbam
Though war is raging have mercy
on all peoples.
The last series of stamps issued
by the Vatican, was also in 1912, is
set of only four values commemo-
rating the 25th anniversary of the
conservation of Pope Plus XII. This
picturesque ceremony took place in
tba Cicfira Cho r,al ~, pnp,e -, No.,