Vatican issues postage stamp depicting blacked-out Kyiv cathedral in support of Ukrainians
Kyiv • UNN
The Vatican Postal Service has unveiled a stamp featuring the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv during a blackout. This commemorates the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion and expresses solidarity with Ukrainians.
The Vatican Postal Service has unveiled a new stamp dedicated to Ukrainian Catholics and the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. The design of the postage stamp is atypical for the Holy See, as instead of traditional images of saints, it depicts the realities of wartime – the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv during a blackout. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The stamp depicts the main temple of Ukrainian Greek Catholics, plunged into darkness due to constant Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The only source of light in the drawing is the orange glow of the evening sky behind the cathedral, symbolizing hope and resilience of the people during daily power outages.
The issue was dedicated not only to solidarity in times of war, but also to the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the Kyiv Catholic Diocese after the fall of the Soviet Union and the 12th anniversary of the construction of the temple itself.
Reaction of the clergy and the significance of the gesture for the faithful
The leader of Ukrainian Greek Catholics, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, emphasized during the presentation in the Vatican that this step is extremely important for millions of believers.
We truly feel the support of the Holy See for this special attention to our history, to our lives in this tragic moment of war
This gesture by the Vatican is seen as a rare departure from purely religious iconography in favor of a sharp social message that draws the attention of the world community to Ukraine's humanitarian problems.