VATICAN (2021) - Pope Francis and Interfaith Dialogue (4v)

The Vatican Philatelic Office has issued a new block of postage stamps highlighting Pope Francis' innovative ventures into interfaith dialogue.

The set of stamps, which is to be released on Feb. 22, boasts snapshots of Francis' meetings with leaders of the world's major religions over the past six years and marks the beginning of the ninth year of his pontificate.

The stamps illustrate Francis' new doctrine in his latest encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, that "the different religions, based on their respect for each human person as a creature called to be a child of God, contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society," according to the Vatican Philatelic Office.

The first two stamps in the top row celebrate the pope's encounters with representatives of the Abrahamic religions — with Rome's Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni (January 2016) and with Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayyeb (February 2019).

The stamps in the bottom row show the pontiff meeting the supreme patriarch of Thailand's Buddhist community, Somdej Phra Maha Muneewon (November 2019) and Hindu leader Ndu-Kurukkal SivaSri T. Mahadeva in Sri Lanka (January 2015).