Rome, Italy, Aug 26, 2008 / 02:22 am
The head of the Vatican Philatelic and Numismatic Office, Dr. Pier Paolo Francini, has revealed the story behind the stamps that were used at the Vatican during the interregnum period of 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II.
The design used for stamps during that time came after one of his co-workers saw a fresco by the Italian artist Carlo Malli that he thought would be appropriate for the occasion.
Francini told the L’Osservatore Roman that “by tradition the stamps during a Vacant See should be printed as soon as possible. The rest has to do with an event that takes place solely in the Vatican.”
“During a Vacant See period, the power to authorize the issuing of new stamps or coins falls, as with any other activity of the State, into the hands of the Cardinal Camerlengo (the head of the papal household) for a brief period, during which it is nevertheless necessary to reaffirm the continuity of the life of the State, without interruption, through the issuance of new stamps and printing of new coins,” he said.