The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church decided to declare 2013 the Homage Year of Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen, considering the anniversary of 1700 years since the Edict of religious tolerance of Milan. Romfilatelia also joins this initiative by introducing into circulation a postage stamp issue dedicated to this major event of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Constantine the Great or Constantine I (Gaius Flavius Aurelius Constantinus) lived between 272 and 337 and reigned as Roman Emperor between 306 and 337. Before converting to Christianity, Constantine worshiped the Sun and considered Sol Invictus to be the foundation of his Empire.
In 312 Constantine won the battle from Pons Milvius (the Mulvian Bridge) against Maxentius. This extraordinary fact represented a decisive incentive for his conversion to Christianity. Historians of that time claimed that the Emperor saw a glowing Cross bearing the words written in stars: In this sign thou shalt conquer!, and, in the night before the battle, Jesus Christ Our Saviour Himself appeared in his dream, requesting him to include the Cross seen in the sky on the soldiers’ flags. Winning the battle was a real miracle for Constantine, given that his army counted only 20,000 soldiers and Maxentius’ consisted of 150,000.
Persuaded by the religious and moral values of Christianity, the Emperor Constantine declares it to be religio licita within the entire Roman Empire.
In 313, under the Edict of Milan, the freedom to practice Christianity was proclaimed and, in 324, after the defeat of Licinius, the ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantine re-established the Empire`s unity.
The First Ecumenical Synod held in Nicea in 325 stated the Church as an important spiritual, moral and cultural factor of the State and, at the same time, it recognised Jesus Christ as the Son of God on Earth.
Empress Helen, the Emperor Constantine’s mother, had a strong influence on her son’s conversion to Christianity and conducted extended researches to discover the Cross on which Jesus Christ Our Saviour had been crucified.
The images on the postage stamps reproduce two icons of the Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen achieved in different manners and which can be found in the heritage of the Patriarchal Cathedral.
The postage stamp with the face value of lei 4.70 illustrates a Byzantine icon, and the postage stamp with the face value lei 9.10 illustrates an icon, part of the Cathedral Iconostasis, made by Otilia Michail Otetelesanu during the period 1961-1964, using the silver plate enamel technique.
The first day cover illustrates the silver reliquary box containing the relics of the Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen.
The philatelic album is created into a limited edition of 400 pcs. and is equipped with the perforated souvenir sheet of 2 postage stamps of the issue, having graphic elements in gold foiling and a “first day” cover with the “first day” postmark clearly imprinted in gold foiling.
