NANA’S TEDDIES PROUDLY PRESENTS

A UNIQUE COLLECTION OF LIMITED EDITION COLLECTABLE BEARS
BY ONE OF GERMANYS LEADING BEAR MAKERS

THE 
HERMANN COBURG PAPAL SERIES

April 19th 2005 saw the election of Germany’s Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, the 265th Pope of the Holy Catholic Church.

April 19th 2005 at 6pm white smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the bell of St Peter rings, we have a new Pope!

Pope Benedict XVI is the first German Pope in 482 years and only the 8th German Pope in the history of the Holy See and the 264th successor of St Peter the 1st Pope.

The name Benedict means “The Blessed” and was chosen by Cardinal Ratzinger as his chosen name to honour Saint Benedict of Nursia, the grand orders founder and co-patron of Europe.
To mark this auspicious occasion and to celebrate his appointment as the first German Pope in 482 years Hermann Coburg designed a very special limited edition mohair collectable teddy bear.

The popularity of this bear was so great that other commemorative editions have been created and we now have a series based around the Popes including 3 in honour or Pope Benedict XVI and St Peter the 1st Pope along with interesting designs of the Official Swiss Guards that have protected the Vatican for centuries and a very special Corbinians Bear.

More bears in this series will be created and added to this VIP Bears feature as they eventuate. Read on for information and pictures of all the designs currently in this series.

POPE BENEDICT XVI

LIMITED AUSTRALIAN EDITION
OF 265 BEARS

As he is the 265th Pope the German edition was made to this number and the 265th bear was delivered to the Vatican as a gift for his Holiness on the 9th of May 2005.

Other identical regional editions were also created of 265 pieces as a Latin and an Italian release, also with English embroidery were editions for the UK, America and Australia.

The only difference was the embroidery denoting the country the edition was made for.

Each edition has the footpads embroidered in gold thread with the Popes details and the bears individual edition number.
The Australian Edition is embroidered in English.

Pope Benedict XVI is a 42 cm bear made of quality white curly German Mohair, his robes of office are richly embroidered in gold thread and he wears a simple wooden cross hanging from a braided rope. He is filled with traditional excelsior and has a growler voice.

The Australian edition is limited to 265 bears selling for $549.

POPE BENEDICT XVI
2006

LIMITED WORLD WIDE EDITION
OF 2006 BEARS

Made to celebrate the Popes first official visit in September 2006 to his homeland of Bavaria Germany.

This special limited edition is dressed in white and gold robes which are heavily embroidered and accessorised with a wooden cross on a staff and a white felt scale which symbolises the Ferula, the Papal Crozier, and the Pallium, the white scale of the Pope.

Each bear in the edition has the footpads embroidered in gold thread with the Popes details and the bears individual edition number.

Pope Benedict XVI 2006 is a 43 cm mohair bear with traditional excelsior filling and a growler voice selling for $599.

POPE BENEDICT XVI
80th BIRTHDAY EDITION

LIMITED WORLD WIDE EDITION
OF 800 BEARS

Pope Benedict XVI was born in the early hours of Holy Saturday on the 16th of April 1927 in the village of Marki in Bavaria Germany.
He was baptised that same day with the freshly Sainted Easter water and from this day his life has been bathed in the Easter mystery.

On April 16th 2007 he celebrated his 80th birthday which for the Pope it was important that this day be as normal a day as possible.Hence this bear has been classically dressed in the simple white cassock, a white belt sash (Zingulum) and a white skull cap (Pileolis) that are his everyday clothes.
Around his neck he wears like any bishop his breast cross, the pectorale on a gold braided rope.

Each bear in the edition has the footpads embroidered in gold thread with the bears individual edition number and his sash has his name and birth details embroidered in Latin.

Pope Benedict XVI 2007 - 80th Birthday Edition is a 40 cm mohair bear with traditional excelsior filling and a growler voice selling for $599.

2008
POPE BENEDICT XVI

AUSTRALIAN TOUR
LIMITED EDITION
OF ONLY 100

A very limited edition of only 100 pieces of a new Pope Benedict XVI bear to commemorate his Holiness’s first Official Australian Visit in July 2008 for the International World Youth Day being held in Sydney.

This very exclusive Australian edition bear is being especially made for Nana’s Teddies & Toys and with only 100 pieces being commissioned and based on the popularity of the previous Pope editions he will sell out quickly.

Originally we were negotiating for a smaller edition of 20 bears but due to the importance of Pope Benedict XVI’s ist visit to Australia and to keep the production cost down Hermann decided that the edition needed to be 100 bears exclusive Australian Edition.
This is quite small as editions go, the next smallest edition was the one for his holiness’s 80th birthday which was 800 bears world wide.

Made of highest quality German white mohair with excelsior stuffing this 40 cm bear is made in the old traditional way that Hermann have produced bears for past century.

He is dressed in special rich gold ceremonial robes made especially for this edition and he is fitted with a growler voice.

Pope Benedict XVI 2008 sells for $699 but members can
pre-order him now for only $649.
Members wishing to save even more can pay in full with their
pre-order and pay only $599, that’s a saving of $100 on the release price.

WORLD YOUTH DAY

World Youth Day (WYD) is the largest youth event in the world and will be held in Sydney from Tuesday 15 to Sunday 20 July 2008.

Organised by the Catholic Church, WYD brings together young people from around the globe to celebrate and learn about their faith on a more regular basis.

WYD 2008 will be the largest event Australia has ever hosted.
It will attract over 125,000 international visitors - more than the 2000 Olympics Games.

WYD 2008 will mark the first visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to Australia.

Through the WYD 2008 experience, young people from throughout the world will make a pilgrimage in faith, meet, and experience the love of God.

World Youth Day is an invitation from the Pope to the youth of the world to celebrate their faith around a particular theme. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Having arrived in Australia on 1 July 2007 and completing a comprehensive 12 month national tour on 30 June 2008, the final part of the journey is a 15 day walking pilgrimage through the Sydney region.

From 1 July 2008, the WYD Cross and Icon will be taking a fifteen day walking pilgrimage through Greater Sydney, encompassing the Dioceses of Wollongong, Parramatta, Broken Bay and Sydney, culminating in the WYD Cross and Icon being carried into the Opening Mass of WYD 2008.

THE HOLY ST PETER

THE FIRST POPE

LIMITED WORLD WIDE EDITION
OF 1000 BEARS

Simon Peter or Cephas, the first pope, Prince of the Apostles, and founder, with St. Paul, of the see of Rome.
Peter was a native of Bethsaida, near Lake Tiberias, the son of John, and worked, like his brother St. Andrew, as a fisherman on Lake Genesareth. Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus, and Christ called Peter to become a disciple.
In Luke is recounted the story that Peter caught so large an amount of fish that he fell down before the feet of Jesus and was told by the Lord, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men”.
Jesus also gave Simon a new name: Cephas, or the rock.
Becoming a disciple of Jesus, Peter acknowledged him as "... the Messiah, the son of the living God”. Christ responded by saying: "... you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church....

He added: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”.
Peter was always listed as the first of the Apostles in all of the New Testament accounts and was a member of the inner circle of Jesus, with James and John. He is recorded more than any other disciple, and was at Jesus’ side at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane. He helped organise the Last Supper and played a major role in the events of the Passion. When the Master was arrested, he cut off the right ear of a slave of the high priest Malchus and then denied Christ three times as the Lord predicted. Peter then “went out and began to weep bitterly”. After the Resurrection, Peter went to the tomb with the “other disciple” after being told of the event by the women. The first appearance of the Risen Christ was before Peter, ahead of the other disciples, and when the Lord came before the disciples at Tiberias, he gave to Peter the famous command to “Feed my lambs.... Tend my sheep.... Feed my sheep”. In the time immediately after the Ascension, Peter stood as the unquestionable head of the Apostles, his position made evident in the Acts. He appointed the replacement of Judas Iscariot; he spoke first to the crowds that had assembled after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; he was the first Apostle to perform miracles in the name of the Lord; and he rendered judgement upon the deceitful Ananias and Sapphira. Peter was instrumental in bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles. He baptised the Roman pagan Cornelius, and at the Council of Jerusalem he gave his support to preaching to Gentiles, thereby permitting the new Church to become universal. Imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa, he was aided in an escape by an angel. He then resumed his apostate in Jerusalem and his missionary efforts included travels to such cities of the pagan world as Antioch, Corinth, and eventually Rome. He made reference to the Eternal City in his first Epistle by noting that he writes from Babylon . It is certain that Peter died in Rome and that his martyrdom came during the reign of Emperor Nero, probably in 64. Testimony of his martyrdom is extensive, including Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, St. Clement I of Rome, St. Ignatius, and St. Irenaeus. According to rich tradition, Peter was crucified on the Vatican Hill upside down because he declared himself unworthy to die in the same manner as the Lord. He was then buried on Vatican Hill, and excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica have unearthed his probable tomb, and his relics are now enshrined under the high altar of St. Peter’s. From the earliest days of the Church, Peter was recognised as the Prince of the Apostles and the first Supreme Pontiff; his see, Rome, has thus enjoyed the position of primacy over the entire Catholic Church. While Peter’s chief feast day is June 29, he is also honoured on February 22 and November 18. In liturgical art, he is depicted as an elderly man holding a key and a book. His symbols include an inverted cross, a boat, and the cock.

St Peter is a 42 cm mohair bear dressed in blue satin trimmed robes, he is holding a wooden shepherds crook and wears a halo and the Key to Heaven around his neck.
He is accompanied by a mohair sheep symbolising the Lords Flock that Jesus entrusted into his care.

St Peter - the 1st Pope sells for $549

THE SWISS GUARD

THE OFFICIAL
VATICAN GUARDS AND THE PROTECTORS OF THE POPES
FOR OVER 500 YEARS

LIMITED WORLD WIDE EDITION
OF 500 BEARS

The Swiss Guards give a touch of colour to St. Peter's Square: in their Renaissance costumes, with puffed sleeves and knickerbockers striped red, blue and yellow, they stand on either side of the basilica, guarding the gates into Vatican City.

When the company was founded, in 1505, the soldiers wore simple tunics, but in 1548 the present uniforms were adopted.
A long-standing tradition holds that they were designed by Michelangelo, but there is no foundation for this belief.
As well as their everyday costumes,
the Swiss Guards have suits of armour, with swords weighing thirty kilos, but these are used only for escorting the Pope during special ceremonies in St. Peter's.

At the beginning of the 16th century the Vatican began to employ Swiss mercenaries, who had a reputation for faithful and disinterested service. During the Sack of Rome in 1527, when
Charles V of Spain devastated the city with his army of "lanzichelecchi", it was only the quick reaction of the Swiss Guards which enabled Pope Clement VII to take refuge in Castel Sant'Angelo.
147 Swiss soldiers died in the fighting. The invaders occupied the Vatican buildings, causing untold damage, they used ancient manuscripts as bedding for their horses, lit fires on the marble floors and scratched graffiti on the frescoes.

The Cohors Helvetica currently numbers 107, the commander, five officers (including a chaplain) and 101 soldiers, all of Swiss birth.
Until about 30 years ago, only citizens of the German-speaking cantons were eligible for admission to the company, but in recent years there has been a dearth of candidates and now French and Italian speaking nationals can also enrol.
They must be Roman Catholics, unmarried, between 18 and 25 years of age, and they must also be good-looking.
Officially they are supposed to be over 1.74 meters tall, but nowadays this regulation is not enforced too strictly.
Their pay is not very high, the equivalent of just over 1,000 U.S. dollars per month, paid in Swiss francs, but they are given full board and lodging.

Every year on May 6, the anniversary of the Sacking of Rome, the Swiss Guards renew their vows of allegiance in the Courtyard of San Damaso inside the Vatican. In a colorful ceremony, new recruits kneel down, raise three fingers of their right hand to symbolize the Trinity and swear to serve the Pope "to the death".

The Swiss Guard Bear is 38 cm made of German Mohair, filled with traditional excelsior with a growler voice. He is dressed in the the traditional Dress Uniform which is made up of 95 individual pieces of fabric. He stands ready to defend his Holiness with his traditional halberd.

The Swiss Guard Bear - 500th Anniversary Edition is limited to 500 bears world wide and is $749

CORBINIAN’S BEAR

THE SYMBOL OF THE COAT OF ARMS OF POPE BENEDICT XVI

LIMITED WORLD WIDE EDITION
OF 500 BEARS

The Papal coat of arms, which Pope Benedict XVI has chosen, includes symbols which he already bore in his Episcopal coat of arms.

One particularly characteristic element is the saddled Corbinian's bear from the coat of arms of the town Freising.
Until 1982 Pope Benedict XVI was Archbishop of Munich and Freising, and the successor of Saint Corbinian.
During his visit in Munich the Pope emphasised in his greetings before the "Mariensaule" on September 9th 2006, the important meaning the bear and the legend of Saint Corbinian have for him.
He compared the Corbinian's Bear with himself as " Gods Beast of Burden ", which symbolizes the weight of office that Benedict now carries.
But the element of the Corbinian's Bear in the coat of arms of the Pope is last but not least also the symbol, which connects the Pope inseparable with his Bavarian homeland.

The Corbinian’s Bear is limited to 500 bears world wide and is $549
He is made of plush German Alpaca with firm polyester filling, he is 6 times jointed with a double jointed neck which allows his head to be turned in all natural positions.

THE CORBINIAN LEGEND

The Saint Corbinian was born between 670 and 680 in France.
At the beginning of the 8th century he started on a pilgrimage to Rome to talk with the Pope.
On his way across the Alps the legend states a bear attacked and killed the Saint’s packhorse.
Corbinian severely scolded the bear and as a punishment he saddled him with all his baggage making the bear carry it all the way to Rome and so the miracle happened.
When Corbinian arrived in Rome the Pope commanded him to return and work as a missionary, on his way home he passed through Bavaria where he settled about 720 near Freising and started his work as a missionary and the first Bishop of Freising.

Saint Corbinian is the Diocese Patron of the Archbishopric Munich and Freising and the picture of his saddled bear is used as the heraldic symbol of the town of Freising and now on the Coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing and learning all about this amazing series of bears, you can see them all in our Hermann Bears in-store display.

Even if you are not into the religious significance of these wonderful teddy bears the history behind them is quite fascinating, I know I learnt a lot researching them.

All information on these bears has been taken from Hermann Coburg archives and is presented in a condensed form to impart the history and reasons behind each design.

Regards Dave Robertson

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