Order of Malta Welcomes An Post Commemorative Stamp Honouring Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta in Ireland warmly welcomes the launch by An Post of a commemorative stamp marking the centenary of the priestly ordination of Hugh O’Flaherty, one of Ireland’s most distinguished humanitarian figures of the twentieth century.

Born in County Kerry and ordained in Rome in 1925, Monsignor O’Flaherty later served in the Vatican Diplomatic Service. During the Second World War, he played a central role in a clandestine rescue network that saved an estimated 6,500 Jews, Allied soldiers and others from Nazi persecution, often at grave personal risk—earning him the sobriquet “the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican.”

In recognition of his exceptional service to humanity, he was invested as a member of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 1944 during World War Two and appointed Chaplain of Magistral Obedience by the Grand Master. His life remains a powerful expression of the Order’s mission of faith and service.

The commemorative stamp, featuring a portrait of Monsignor O’Flaherty with symbols of freedom and hope, is a fitting tribute to a remarkable Irish priest and a valued member of the Order.