THE VATICAN SETS ITS COURSE

Now that a new pope has been chosen, it will be interesting to see where the catholic church takes itself from here. In the 6 global year of 2013 which emphasizes balance and fairness, the stability of many institutions is being put to the test – and the catholic church is one of the oldest and most established among them. Catholicism is the spiritual belief system – the faith – of an estimated 1.2 billion people.

The title POPE FRANCIS adds up to the karmic number 14/5, which represents change by learning from past mistakes. These lessons can be easy or harsh, depending on the level of resistance put up against acknowledging  error.

5 represents freedom, movement, the unexpected, excitement, gender, and sex. There is likely to be a greater focus on the child rape scandals that have been rocking the church’s foundations for decades now; the gravitation of pedophiles towards this institution; the exclusion of women from its ranks; and the effect of celibacy on its clergy. Note that Pope Francis is the 266th pope, which also adds up to 14/5.

(Added on March 14, 2013) Cardinal Jorge Mario Mergoglio of Argentina was elected pope on 13 March, 2013 (13+3+6=22/4), a 22/4 day in the world, and a day of great energy. 22 is the master number which enables improvement of conditions for the masses – or, if it is abused in any way, great chaos. 13 is the karmic vibration of 4 which can be found in several key places in this pope’s and this papacy’s numeric setup. Karmic 13 involves breaking out of whatever is boxing you in by becoming less rigid, more flexible, and more open to new ideas and methods.

His Destiny Path is 3, which means that communication and the way he presents himself have played – and will play – a pivotal role in his accomplishments. The Destiny Path is the sum of all the numbers in one’s date of birth. He was born on 17 December, 1936.

He is not without controversy, especially his anti-gay views and his opposition to the adoption of children by gay couples. He is being presented as a champion of the poor and downtrodden, and it will be interesting to see how he responds to the austerity being meted out throughout the world which is throwing people into poverty at an alarming and unprecedented rate. He is also linked to the alleged kidnapping of liberal priests back in 1976, during Argentina’s “dirty war”. He denies this, and refers to it as “old slander.”

But the future of the catholic church does not depend on one man, which was confirmed by the abrupt resignation in February of the previous pope, Benedict. Popes do not resign.

It is not so much the man, Pope Francis, who is in the metaphysical spotlight, but the church itself – the institution – and the fact that the catholic church influences the world in ways that are not always apparent.

For instance, our lives revolve around a catholic calendar – the Gregorian Calendar, which was established by Pope Gregory 13th in 1582. That was 431 years ago. It is based on the history of Jesus Christ, and the defeat of the Roman Empire by Christian forces. It separates time in terms of BC and AD – before Christ and after Christ.

Although some countries and cultures follow their own calendars when possible, this industrialized and politicized world marches to the beat of the Christian establishment. That’s what calendars do when they are commandeered by one faction or another. They organize us in the context of time, and use specific dates to reinforce cultural norms, such as Easter and Christmas, which lock us into certain traditions which which keep us tied to the past.

The Gregorian calendar does not measure time as accurately as time needs to be measured. As we evolve and become more aware of time as a natural multi-dimensional occurrence, this calendar is likely to change, too.

Pope Gregory the 13th replaced the Julian Calendar of ancient Rome (named after Julius Caesar) with a new Christian calendar, named after himself. The month of July is attributed to Julius, and the month of August to Augustus (Caesar). That’s a lot of power – and a lot of ego, too. And with the papal emphasis on the ancient language of Latin, it’s interesting to note that EGO is the Latin word for “I”.

The word catholic comes from the Greek 

word “katholikos”, meaning “universal.”

 

Religions have always wielded such power, over governments, over the people, and over time. But we are not in the patriarchal 1000s any more. Ironically, a new millennium arrived on the Gregorian calendar, the human journey shifted from 1 to 2, and the course of time changed.

The patriarchal ‘man’s world’ of the 1000s is ending, and what could be more patriarchal than a religion whose leader is called ‘pope’ – papa – holy father? The word patriarchy means ‘rule by fathers’. This slowly dying system places the male as the primary authority figure, and is oppressive to women by keeping them in subordinate positions. Most religions – and whole societies – are based on patriarchy.

We live in a world of gender-based discrimination, but as we move deeper into the 2000s, the feminine energy of 2 (magnetism/gravity) is strengthening and rising – not to take the place of 1 or reverse the patriarchal system into a matriarchal one, but to bring balance into the one-sidedness of unevolved 1.

Now, wherever feminine energy is denied, demeaned, belittled, and held back, there will be problems for those suppressing it. That’s the thing about time – when something’s time has come; when the numbers support it… nothing can stop it.

The war against women persists, and yet more and more women are finding their own equality – their own self acceptance – without having to be more like men. And the balance is growing further and faster as more and more men also seek gender equality and a more loving way to coexist on Earth. We are all evolving.

But the Catholic Church does not believe in spiritual evolution or the equality of the sexes which makes such evolution possible.

I also wonder, having taken the name of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, whether Pope Francis will be an advocate of animal rights. This would be an enormous breakthrough in the realms of human rights because the way humans treat animals is a gauge of how we treat each other.

Yes, with newly elected Pope Francis at the helm, it will be interesting to see where the Catholic church takes itself from here.