Papal Trips

Starting in 1966 with Paulus VI visit to New York to address the United Nation´s General Assembly, the Roman Catholic leaders have been visiting their flock outside Europe on pastoral trips.

In 1968 Paulus VI made the first visit ever by a Pope to Latin America, attending the XXXIX International Eucharistic Congress in Bogota, Colombia.

These covers were issued to conmemorate the Papal flights, Rome to Bogota on August 22nd 1968, and the return leg on August 24th from Bogota to Rome.

Colombia 1968. Pope Paulus VI Visit to Colombia

LT1170 COP 0.25 Regular mail. 2.000.000 pcs.
LT1171 COP 0.80 Air mail. 4.000.000 pcs.
LT1172 COP 1.20 Air mail. 2.000.000 pcs.
LT1173 COP 1.80 Air mail. 2.000.000 pcs.

Dent. 13.5 x 14
Printer De la Rue de Colombia
FDC 22.08.1968

Aside from the Colombian Post Office, Avianca´s Air Mail Service also issued its own FDC:



As did a number of private, non-oficial, dealers:

Colombia 1968. XXXIX Eucharistic Congress.
Pope Paul VI visit to Colombia.

LT1160 COP 0.25 Regular mail. 5.000.000 pcs.
LT1161 COP 0.60 Regular mail. 5.000.000 pcs.
LT1162 COP 0.80 Air mail. 5.000.000 pcs.
LT1163 COP 1.00 Regular mail. 1.000.000 pcs.
LT1164 COP 1.00 Air mail. 5.000.000 pcs.
LT1165 COP 2.00 Air mail. 4.000.000 pcs.
LT1166 COP 3.00 Air mail. 4.000.000 pcs.
LT1167 COP 5.00 Regular mail. 1.000.000 pcs.
LT1168 COP 10.00 Regular mail. 400.000 pcs.
LT1169 COP 20.00 Air mail. 250.000 pcs.

Dent. 13
Printer: Gov. Printing Bureau. Tokio.
FDC 13.08.1968

Nine days before Pope Paul VI arrival to attend the XIX International Eucharistic Congress, the colombian post office issued this series:

Hi Stuart, This cover must have been from the same visit as in your first post, also issued by the Columbian postal service. (Were you in the crowd?)

Leider nicht Kris; denn Ich im Jahr 1968 nur fünf jahre alt war.

Kris:

Nice cover, privately issued, Bophil, but with official post office post mark.

It was issued to conmemorate the encounter of Paul VI with the Latinamerican peasant masses. Thousands of peasants came to Colombia to meet that day with the Pope at the town of Mosquera, some 22 km westward from Bogotá.




Actually dealers produced covers for every activity on the Pope´s agenda while in Colombia, producing in some cases their own post marks:

Hi Stuart, Thanks for the info. Is this cover also one of those privately issued ones? K.

Dear Kris:

It is a private issued cover by Luciano Fraschetti, of FDC Rome [a cura della FDC. "Roma"]; this time covering the visit of Paulus VI to Uganda in 1969 to the closing of the Catholic Bishops of Africa Simpossium in Kampala. I found a link to his story in this italian philatellic magazine:

http://www.asitaf.it/asitaf/en/ad-astra-newsletter
N°1 Nov 2008
- Apollo 40th Anniversary: Celebration started
- Astrophilately over a coffee
- AS.IT.AF.welcomes Paul and Chris Calle
- What is an Astrophilatelic Collection.
- Luciano Fraschetti, Founder of FDC Roma.

Best regards,

Stuart

Hi Stuart, Here's another one for you to solve. The date in the cancellation reads 19th December 2009, the stamp was issued on 10th November 2005; visit to Lourdes. The card is postal stationary and seems to be advertisement for the coin.

Vatican 2015 Papal trips by Pope Francis