Vaticano 2010 2€ Ano Sacerdotal

On 19 June 2010 the closing celebration took place for the Year for Priests, declared by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Mary Vianney, patron of parish priests. The Philatelic and Numismatic Office has already issued two postage stamps dedicated to the Saint, and now it will celebrate the occasion with a two euro commemorative coin. The design etched on the coin represents a key passage from the Bible in the Book of Amos: "...as the shepherd snatches from the mouth of the lion a pair of legs or the tip of an ear of his sheep...so the Israelites...shall escape..." (Amos 3,12). The image of the shepherd who snatches the sheep from the mouth of the lion symbolizes the role of the priest as a shepherd of souls working to save the faithful from the grip of the Evil One. The sculpture is by artist Guido Veroi whose work has appeared in other numismatic releases.