Angel Gabriel Questioned

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30808, 21 July 1965, Page 17

Angel Gabriel Questioned

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright! WASHINGTON, July 20. The United States Post Office Department has discovered to its surprise that the angel Gabriel, blowing “his” horn on the 1965 Christmas stamp, has an unquestionably feminine torso. The trouble began last Friday, when the PostmasterGeneral, John Grounouski, received a letter from Mr Morris Gordon. The writer had noticed newspaper photos of the stamp, which was unveiled last week. Mr Gordon, who said he

was writing because the department “is leaving itself open to a great deal of derisive comment,” told Mr Gronouski: “The torso part of the figure is feminine and Gabriel’s breast is that of a woman.” The department sent a postal inspector to Newburyport Massachusetts, to photograph the Gabriel weather vane on top of the People’s Methodist Church. A painting of the 125-year-old weather vane is the basis for the stamp design. Sure enough, the inspector telegraphed, grimly: “When viewed through binoculars, it can be observed that the questioned section of the design has a very definite profusion.”

top of the People s Metnodist Church. A painting of the 125-year-old weather vane is the basis for the stamp design. Sure enough, the inspector telegraphed, grimly: “When viewed through binoculars, it can be observed that the questioned section of the design has a very definite profusion.” The department checked the stamp design against the water-colour to see that the designer had not slipped. He had not.

It then sent its inspector to Newburyport and received his corroborating report, along with photos.

Next it called the Rev. James Coen of the Catholic Information Office. “Angels,” Father Coen said, “are sexless.” Another call went to the Rev. Louis Hartman, a biblical expert at a Catholic university in Washington. “Theologians,” Father Hartman said, “tend to use anthropomorphism in describing God and the angels. In other words, they refer to these figures in masculine terms. “But it has been traditional for religious artists to picture the angel with an effeminate and female aura, substance or frrm. although no-one knows why.” “We’re going to continue to call it the Gabriel stamp,” the department spokesman said.