Vatican City, May 19, 2009 / 08:28 am
A celebration of books called the World Book and Copyright Day was held on April 23, and to mark the event, the Vatican is issuing a stamp and postmark.
The stamp and postmark will be released by the Vatican's Publishing House on May 29, with the stamp having a value of 60 euro cents. The postage stamp shows a sketch by Maria Carmela Perrini depicting the "Codex Vaticanus."
As part of the same initiative, the first edition of a bimonthly magazine entitled "Editoria Vaticana," also published by the Vatican Publishing House, will likewise be presented tomorrow, as will the results of a survey into the books most read by priests, in collaboration with the "Rogate" magazine for priestly vocations.
The date of April 23 was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the birth or death of a range of internationally renowned writers and because of the Catalan traditions surrounding this day.
The celebrations in Catalonia involve sweethearts exchanging books and roses on April 23, Saint George's Feast Day. The international celebration of the day has been held since 1995.