Treasure hunt: Queues of collectors seek first Pope Benedict stamps

Published: 2005-06-03

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When exclusive sets of stamps marking the start of Pope Benedict XVI's papacy went on sale, two lines of collectors, armed with protective portfolios, snaked underneath the colonnade heading for the two tiny Vatican post offices on either side of St. Peter's Square. Some confused tourists thought the lines were for the Sistine Chapel or the public restrooms, but collectors eagerly directed the sightseers to the right lines to weed them out and shorten their own wait. "The line on this side is shorter. I waited a whole hour on the other side," said Pasquale Ventini, in line for the second time. The exclusive set of three different stamps shows the pope in red, gold or white vestments. The .45-euro stamp bears the words "Habemus Papam," Latin for "We Have a Pope." The .62-euro stamp says "Tu es Petrus," or "You are Peter." And the .80-euro stamp says "Episcopus Romae," or "The Bishop of Rome." One set -- three sheets of six stamps each -- cost $13.

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