On the occasion of the greatest celebration of the Christianity, Holy Easter, Romfilatelia introduces into circulation a postage stamps issue titled Holy Easter 2025,on Wednesday, March 26th this year.
The issue consists of two postage stamps, a perforated souvenir sheet, a First Day Cover, and a special philatelic album in a limited edition.
The Resurrection of the Lord represents the most important event in the history of salvation. ‘This chosen and holy day’ is ‘the feast of feasts and the celebration of celebrations’, as beautifully taught by the words of Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople.
Unlike the Jewish Passover (Pesah, or passing over: the exodus from slavery and the crossing of the Red Sea), the Christian Passover brings into the present the suffering of the Saviour Jesus Christ, His death on the Cross, and His Resurrection from the dead, through which He liberated all of humanity from the bondage of sin and death, ‘making a way for every body to the resurrection of the dead’, as testified by Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia.
Through the sin of disobedience committed by our first parents, Adam and Eve, man is cast out of Paradise, and his nature is corrupted and alienated from God. This reality of the rebellion of fallen man is strongly present in the exhortations of the prophets in the Old Testament, who call the people of God to repentance: ‘Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.’ (Jeremiah 3:22). Through Adam, all humans inherit the fallen nature, affected by the alienation from God due to disobedience. And through the perfect obedience of the Saviour Christ, the new Adam, humanity is raised from the state of fall and disobedience into which it had fallen through the old Adam. The Saviour Christ, through His death and Resurrection, crushes the gates of hell and restores human nature, lifting man from the death of sin to eternal life, as also taught by Saint Paul, who says: ‘For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.’ (Romans 5:19).
The Church has ordained that the Paschal period be preceded by a time of spiritual preparation, a 40-day fast during which people are called to increase acts of love towards their neighbour, seeking to draw closer to God. After this period, there follows another, more intense time, the Week of the Holy Passion or Great Week. During these days, when fasting and spiritual struggles intensify, we are called to deepen our prayer and repentance, in order to worthily welcome the great feast of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the night of the Resurrection of the Lord, believers receive the Holy Light, which is kindled from the Tomb of the Saviour Christ in Jerusalem, but only on the day when Orthodox Easter is celebrated.
The postage stamps of the issue reproduce images of icons with the subjects of the Entry into Jerusalem (face value of Lei 5,00), the Resurrection (face value of Lei 14,00), and the Crucifixion (the stamp of the souvenir sheet with the face value of Lei 30,00).
The First Day Cover of the issue illustrates in its design an icon from the Tabernacle of the ‘Răzvan’ Church in Bucharest.
The icons belong to ‘Răzvan’ Church in Bucharest, built at the command of Prince Stephen VIII Răzvan in 1597, as a symbol of the brotherhood with Wallachia, which was under the rule of Michael the Brave. Over time, the restoration or rebuilding of the church was supported by Vornic Răzvan (known as Captain Răzvan) in 1620, Ianache Văcărescu and Lady Stanca in 1706, and the parishioners of the area between 1857 and 1859, when Mișu Popp and Constantin Lecca restored the painting. The renovation in 1974 and the restoration of the original iconostasis in 2009 further enhanced the current appearance of the place of worship.
The Romfilatelia team wishes you Enlightened Holidays, together with your dear ones!
Christ is Risen!
Romfilatelia thanks His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel for the High Resolution, as well as Mr. Răzvan Mihai Clipici, Patriarchal Advisor and Head of the Culture, Painting, and Restoration Sector of the Patriarchal Administration, for the documentary support provided in the development of this issue of postage stamps.
