On September 23, 2015, Pope Francis I (affectionately known as Papa Pancho) brought the core messages contained in his remarkable encyclical
(Church teaching document), Laudato Sí, to
a joint session of Congress—an unprecedented event hosted by Speaker of the
House John Boehner (more about him to come!). Perhaps a gesture meant by
Boehner to appease the GOP’s conservative base and justify a government
shutdown over Planned Parenthood, the invitation offered the Pope a much
broader teaching moment. He made the most of the opportunity to address Congress
(as he put it to a standing ovation), “in the land of the free and the home of
the brave.” His message was at once gracious, positive and hopeful, fatherly,
critical and admonishing, and his call for moral leadership and responsibility
towards humanity and the environment far exceeded the narrowly-defined
conservative “family” agenda.
Not surprisingly, both the Pope’s encyclical, his speech to
Congress and his subsequent address to the United Nations on September 24th reflect the intellectual
breadth and spiritual depths of the man we’ve come to know these past few days.
Astrologers would argue they also reflect the power and substance of his birth chart,
which is, thankfully, available at Astrodatabank.com, with enough documentation
of his birth data to garner a Rodden AA rating (birth certificate/record in
hand). Let’s consider some highlights
(see chart below):
· 6th
house Sun at 25+ degree Sagittarius, conjunct North Node and opposed to Chiron.
Clearly destined to serve others as a teacher, Pope Francis has a soaring
intellect well-suited to the calling. He has taught many disciplines since he
joined the Jesuits and began his own studies for the priesthood in 1958.
Chiron’s opposition produces a deeply introspective nature and an intense wound
to self and ego; the Pope’s humble, self-effacing persona is perhaps reflected
here.
· Cancer
rises at the Ascendant, trine Saturn in Pisces and opposed by Jupiter-Mercury
conjunct in Capricorn. The Pope radiates active pastoral energy with this cardinal Cancer Ascendant. His benevolence,
however (most obvious when he interacts with children) is infused with both
pragmatic and spiritual ideals (Capricorn-Pisces) that move him to actively serve
others (6th house Jupiter, 7th house Mercury in
Capricorn, both disposed by 9th house Pisces Saturn). As we’ve
witnessed this week, he serves through his actions and by his demanding,
spiritually-grounded message of compassion and responsibility.
· The Moon
(chart ruler) conjoins Venus in Aquarius and trines Mars in Libra. The
Pope’s loving concern for humanity is certainly reflected here, and the trine
to Mars reinforces his calls to action. His recurring focus on families as the
backbone of societies can be seen in Mars’ 4th house placement. Even
though he hews to the church’s conservative teachings about family and
marriage, the more open-minded, less judgmental perspective he has taken
publicly on divorce and homosexuality (saying, “who am I to judge?”) is perhaps
reflected in his 9th house Uranus in Taurus disposing the Aquarius
placements. This is especially notable as Venus squares and falls in mutual reception with this point. There is “revolutionary” potential here, suggesting
that women might still hope for change in the roles they are allowed to play in
the Church under this Pope’s tenure.
· Mercury-Jupiter
in Capricorn trine Uranus in Taurus. Here we can see the strength of
conviction that underlies the Pope’s courageous, but not always popular, views
on social and economic justice and environmental challenges. Both his
encyclical and his speeches to Congress and the U.N. expressed how
interdependent he believes these issues are. The Pope captured this ideal in
his speech to Congress by referring to the figure of Moses present in that
chamber. The role Moses played with the Israelites certainly resonates with the
Pope’s chart as well: Moses, he said, was both the ideal “patriarch and
lawgiver” (Jupiter in Capricorn) and the
bridge (Uranus trine) between God and the People that spoke to the
“transcendent dignity of the human being” (the highest expression of these
placements in Taurus-Capricorn). The urgency of caring for “our common home” by
taking responsibility for the wellbeing of the planet is another constant theme
in the Pope’s teaching—also not hard to see in these powerful earth-sign
placements. Capricorn evokes both the regulatory and conservation impulses of
Saturn; Taurus also preserves and celebrates
the material dimension of life on this planet. Uranus here explains the Pope’s
concern for putting technology “at the service of another type of progress, one
which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral.” This line was only
one of several in his speech that were first seen in his encyclical.
· Saturn in
Pisces opposes Neptune in Virgo; both form a T-square with Chiron in Gemini. There’s
a lot to unpack here, but the overall configuration evokes the deep sense of
spiritual vocation the Pope embodies. It suggests a wound-driven need to make
spiritual sense of material life, to take responsibility for the wisdom gained,
and to communicate that wisdom for the sake of humanity. Even though many
public figures and celebrities were born with Chiron in Gemini, this placement
often represents a wound to our communication abilities (or at least the
feeling that we’re not getting through to others); clearly the Pope has not
allowed that to deter his efforts.
· Chiron in
Gemini trines Mars in Libra. This upbeat aspect points to the vibrant
internal reserves of energy that power the Pope’s daily life and agenda and reflects
his active concern for social justice.
I was traveling in Canada during the Pope's visit, so I missed a lot of his message. I was fascinated by the intense, extensive coverage of his visit. As you note, clearly his visit hit at an important time. Thanks for the nuanced chart reading of this complex individual.
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