Obverses: the obverses of the coins feature the coat of arms of Pope Francis, around which the name of the country 'CITTA DEL VATICANO', the year of minting '2022' and the Italian mintmark 'R' are engraved. The obverse of the €5 coin depicts Pope Benedict XV, as the coin commemorates the 100th anniversary of his death.
Reverses: feature the usual denomination numbers of euro coins. The €5 coin features the papal coat of arms.
About the set: the Vatican State Mint dedicates the €5 coin to the 100th anniversary of the death of Pope Benedict XV. Giacomo della Chiesa was born in Genoa in 1854 and was elected Pope in 1914, just three months after becoming a Cardinal. He became Pope shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. During his almost eight years as Pope, he made many passionate calls for an end to the war. On the reverse of the coin, the artist Patrizio Daniele depicted Benedict XV in profile, holding hands in prayer and with the words: "War is senseless slaughter". This phrase is taken from a letter written by the Pope in 1917 to the "belligerent powers", in which he invited them to reflect on their responsibility towards God and humanity. The Pope wrote many letters calling for an end to war, but his calls went unheeded. He also drew attention to improving care for the wounded and the many prisoners of war and helping the civilian population most affected by the war.
