Vatican Philatelic Issues of 7 November 2025 by the Postal and Philatelic Service of the Governorate

Stamp series, booklet and special first-day cancellation

Holy Christmas MMXXV

On the occasion of the 2025 Christmas festivities and the closing of the Jubilee Year, the Postal and Philatelic Service of the Governorate of the Vatican City State has issued the customary philatelic series dedicated to the Nativity.

The series consists of two stamps and an accompanying booklet reproducing details from the sixteenth-century tapestry Adoration of the Shepherds by Pieter van Aelst, a Flemish masterpiece housed in the Vatican Museums and inspired by the school of Raphael. The work evokes the emotion of Christ’s birth: the shepherds, first witnesses of the mystery, adore the Child wrapped in light and peace. The refined colors and the delicacy of the faces recall the spiritual value of sacred art, inviting a rediscovery of the true meaning of Christmas as a sign of love and redemption.

The series includes:

€1.30: the group of shepherds

€1.35: the Holy Family in the manger

The circular cancellation (Ø 38 mm) shows a detail of the Child taken from the same tapestry, with the inscriptions: “Santo Natale MMXXV”, “Poste Vaticane”, “Die Emissionis 07.11.2025”.

Stamp – “Witnesses of Hope: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha”

The series Witnesses of Hope continues with an issue dedicated to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (1656–1680), the first Native American saint, known as “the Lily of the Mohawks”.

Marked by smallpox in her youth, Kateri embraced the Christian faith after meeting Jesuit missionaries and chose to live a life of prayer, purity and service until her death at only twenty-four.

Canonized in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, she is today patroness of youth, Native Americans and ecologists.

The stamp portrays her in a symbolic interpretation, while the miniature sheet illustrates her surrounded with lilies and light, a metaphor of hope.

The cancellation, featuring an idealized image of the Saint bears the inscriptions: “Testimoni di Speranza”, “Santa Kateri Tekakwitha”, “Poste Vaticane”, “Die Emissionis 07.11.2025”.

Stamp – Saint John Henry Newman, Doctor of the Church

Among the new issues is also a tribute to Saint John Henry Newman (1801–1890), English cardinal and theologian, proclaimed Doctor of the Church on November 1st by Pope Leo XIV for his contribution to the dialogue between faith and reason.

After an intense spiritual journey, Newman converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism and founded the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in Birmingham.

The stamp reproduces a portrait of the Saint by Spanish painter Raúl Berzosa, while the cancellation – inspired by a drawing by Edgar Owen Jennings – presents his profile with the legend: “San John Henry Newman Dottore della Chiesa”, “Poste Vaticane”, “Die Emissionis 07.11.2025”.

Stamp – 75th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Holy See and Indonesia

To commemorate the 75 years of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Indonesia (1949–2025), a stamp has been issued celebrating a long path of cooperation and interreligious dialogue.

The design features the Vatican coat of arms and the Indonesian emblem Garuda Pancasila, joined by a dove symbolizing peace and friendship.

The circular cancellation (38 mm) bears the coats of arms of both States and the inscriptions: “75° delle Relazioni diplomatiche tra Santa Sede e Indonesia”, “1950–2025”, “Poste Vaticane”, “Die Emissionis 07.11.2025”.

Miniature Sheet – “The Travels of Pope Francis in the World – 2024”

A new issue commemorates the most recent apostolic journeys of Pope Francis in 2024: to Corsica, Luxembourg, Belgium, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Singapore.

The stamps illustrate the locations visited and pay homage to the Pope as a messenger of universal fraternity. The miniature sheet, in addition to evoking the stages and cultural symbols of the countries, depicts the Pontiff in a gesture of blessing and greeting.

The cancellation (Ø 38 mm) features a stylised portrait of the Pope with the inscription: “I viaggi di Papa Francesco nel mondo 2024”, “Poste Vaticane”, “Die Emissionis 07.11.2025”.

Aerogramme – Centenary of the Canonization of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

A century after the canonization of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, the Vatican Post has issued a commemorative aerogramme.

The main printing shows a posthumous portrait created by her sister Céline, adorned with roses – symbols of the graces promised by the Saint.

The value imprint reproduces a famous photograph taken in 1896.

The cancellation, inspired by the same portrait, bears the legend: “Santa Teresa di Lisieux – Centenario della Canonizzazione”, “Poste Vaticane”, “Die Emissionis 07.11.2025”.

Series of Postal Cards – 550th Anniversary of Michelangelo’s Birth

For the 550th anniversary of the birth of Michelangelo Buonarroti, the Vatican Post presents an elegant series of four postal cards.
The images recall the artist’s major pictorial cycles in the Vatican City:

The Creation of Adam (Sistine Chapel – €1.30)

Christ the Judge (Last Judgment – €1.35)

The Crucifixion of Peter (Pauline Chapel – €2.55)

The Conversion of Saul (Pauline Chapel – €3.35)

The value imprint reproduces Michelangelo’s portrait painted by Raphael in the School of Athens.
The folder of the series features a detail from the Crucifixion of Peter where a self-portrait of the master has been recognized.

The cards, printed by the Vatican Printing Press on coated paper, will be issued in 3,400 sets.
The cancellation, 38 mm in diameter, reproduces a detail of the School of Athens with the inscription: “550° della nascita di Michelangelo”, “Poste Vaticane”, “Die Emissionis 07.11.2025”.