Fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine: Vatican issues unusual stamp in support
Vatican has supported Ukraine before (photo: Getty Images)
The Vatican presented a new postage stamp dedicated to Ukrainian Catholics to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. It depicts the Patriarchal Cathedral of Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv during a blackout, Reuters reports.
Stamp design became atypical for Vatican philately. The postal service of the Holy See usually issues stamps on the occasion of Catholic holidays or in honor of national churches, avoiding political accents and preferring images of religious figures, including local saints.
On the new stamp, Kyiv Cathedral is depicted darkened due to a power outage. Its silhouette is illuminated from behind by the orange glow of the evening sky.
Leader of Ukraine's four million Eastern-rite Catholics, archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who was present at the Vatican for the presentation ceremony, called the release of the stamp a "great moment of consolation".
"We really feel embraced by the Holy See for this particular attention to our history, to our life in this tragic moment of war," he said in Italian.
The stamp was also dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of the restoration of the Kyiv Catholic diocese after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the twelfth anniversary of the construction of the cathedral.
Vatican supported Ukraine (photo: Vatican press service)
Pope Leo XIV expressed solidarity with Ukraine amid freezing winter and the consequences of war, organizing the delivery of humanitarian aid. It concerns generators, medicines, and food.
Also, Pope Leo called on the world to intensify efforts to stop the war in Ukraine. Pontiff emphasized the suffering of the civilian population and the need for just and lasting peace.
