Stamp on the birthday of St. John Paul II
Polish Post, together with the Slovak mail, commemorates the anniversary of the birth of Saint. John Paul II. On May 13, the postage stamp commemorating the anniversary of the birth of Karol Wojtyła. This is a common, such unique initiative of Poczta Polska and Słowacka Poczta. Polish emission is called "100. Anniversary of the birth of Saint John Paul II. "
Exactly on May 18, 2020, the 100th anniversary of the birth of St. John Paul II. On this occasion, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland 2020 established the Year of Saint John Paul II, and Poczta Polska, together with the Slovak post, emits an occasional stamp with a tag. It presents Pope John Paul II against the background of the family home in Wadowice. On the other hand, there were silhouettes of the Polish Pope and Slovak Cardinal Jan Chrysostom Korec, during the pilgrimage of John Paul II to Slovakia, which took place in 1995. The design of the stamp and tag was prepared on the basis of photos of Grzegorz Gałązka - a papal photographer. The barbecue stamps contain 6 stamps and 6 accompanying tags.
Polish Emission Day - May 13 - is not accidental. Exactly that day in 1981 during the general audience in St. Peter Square in Rome, John Paul II was shot by the Turkish bomber. The Pope believed that he owed his saving to the Mother of God, whose first revelation in Fatima took place on May 13, 1917. Slovak mail would introduce his stamp on the anniversary of the Pope's birth, i.e. May 18, 2020.
The author of the stamp project for both postal administrations is the Polish graphic artist Maciej Jędrysik. In addition to the Poczta Polska stamp, it also publishes an FDC envelope - the first day of circulation, on which the designer presented the parents of Karol Wojtyła and little Lolek during the First Holy Communion. In the background there is a smaller Basilica PW Planning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where Karol Wojtyła was baptized and joined the First Holy Communion. In the background you can see the outline of the mountains and the Basilica of St. Piotr in the Vatican.
Cardinal Jan Chrysostom Korec is an important figure of the Catholic Church in former Czechoslovakia. The authorities of the communist Czechoslovakia prevented him from performing priestly ministry, so he served in hiding, while working as a worker at a factory, then as a librarian at the Institute of Hygiene. Only after the fall of communism in November 1989 the bishop could reveal his activities, and in January 1990 Pope John Paul II officially appointed Bishop. The corner of the rector of the reorganized seminary in Bratislava, a few weeks later confirmed his secret bishopric, citing him to the bishop of Nitra. In the consistory, on June 28, 1991, the Holy Father included the hierarchy in the cardinal college.
This year - on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the Polish Pope - a joint broadcast of Poland and the Vatican is also planned, but due to the epidemic, both the Vatican celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Saint John Paul II and the philatelic emission accompanying them will probably be postponed to October.
About the stamp:
Project author: Maciej Jędrysik
Number of stamps: 1 with tag
value: PLN 5
ECTRY: 210,000 Pcs.
Printing technique: offset
format stamp: 43 x 31.25 mm
Paper: fluorescent
sales sheet: 6 stamps + 6 tags.
Date of introduction into circulation: 13 May 2020.
This and other philatelic publications can be purchased at postal facilities and the online store: www.filatelistyka.poczta-polska.pl .