Philatelists worldwide are now captivated by a new collectible: the Vatican’s exclusive Sede Vacante stamp.
Released on Monday, these stamps commemorate the period of transition following Pope Francis’s death until the election of his successor, referred to as ‘Sede Vacante’, which translates to Vacant Seat in Latin.
They are available for purchase in Vatican City and the vicinity of St. Peter’s Basilica, where Francesco Santarossa and his 88-year-old father, Ermenegildo, operate a numismatics and stamp shop.
Ermenegildo has been running the shop since his retirement from the papal gendarmerie in 1971, but his dedication to the Vatican continued; a decade later, he apprehended the assailant of John Paul II.
The pontiff was shot and critically injured in St. Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981, by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca.
Santarossa recalls hearing two gunshots and immediately realizing the pope had been shot. He rushed towards John Paul II’s vehicle to assist and intercepted the attacker along the way
. “When he was a meter away from me, he lunged at me with the gun… I seized him and attempted to bring him inside the Bronze Door, the renowned Vatican entrance.
” The former gendarme’s love for stamps originated in his hometown of Fontana Fredda in northern Italy, where he assisted illiterate individuals with their correspondence to family members abroad, becoming enchanted by the exquisite stamps adorning the envelopes.
He has since passed this passion on to his son Francesco, who now oversees their shop.
