Before I get to the whole Ides of March thing, let's start with the name. Francesco literally means "Frenchman". In the good old days, the French were called 'Franks', and the word/name Frank has come into English (via German) meaning 'true'. Obviously, the Franks had a reputation for being overly honest, or something. At any rate, I can't imagine this bit of trivium was not considered in the whole naming ordeal.
Naturally, there's the allusion to San Francesco d'Asisi. St. Francis is revered as a very humble man who dedicated his life to caring for the poor and did so by making a point of being poor himself...to a fault. His reasoning was that the Christ owned nothing, and so should the devout Christian. His order, the Franciscans, are called the Little Brothers of the Poor.
Among other things, we list Francesco as being the first time a pope has used that name, and so one assumes that this pope is making the point that he will be both 'truthful' and 'devoted to the poor'.
He's also the first American pope (yes, Argentines are Americans also) implying the "New World", and so one assumes that the Church is sending the message that it is focused on a New World (Order?). Frankly, a devotion to a 'new world' of 'truth' and a focus on 'poverty' seems to fit the whole 'behind the scenes' thing going on here.
What really caught my eye, though, was the election of Francesco on the Ides of March. There sheer amount of symbolism behind this fact is a bit mind-blowing, really. Hang on.
In the ancient Roman calendar, the new year began on March 1st, with celebrations lasting for two weeks, culminating in a big festival on March 15th (could be 13th too, depending on the full moon). Part of the celebration was the selection of a 'scapegoat'. This involved finding an old man, dressing him in sheep skins and beating him with sticks to the edge of the city. This was symbolic of casting out the old year and ushering in the new, and the origin of the English word 'scapegoat'. Kinda brings old Benedict XVI to mind, when you think about it.
There was also a ritual where the high priest of the Jupiter cult, called the Flamen Dialis, would lead a sheep down the Via Sacra to a place called the Arx, or Citadel. The Arx was a revered place where Roman legions had repelled an invasion around 340 BC. The sheep would be sacrificed at the spot, which brings to mind one of the titles of the pope is The Shepherd who leads the 'sheep' of the Church. Are we to assume then that this pope will sacrifice his sheep at the Arx (of the Covenant...)?
Hang on...it gets more fun.
Attis was a character in Roman mythology who was thrown into the reeds by a river as a baby in an attempt to kill him. He was rescued by a bunch of shepherds (!) following the directions of the goddess Cybele. Here's where it really gets good...
Attis supposedly died under a tree, so the festival included an effigy of Attis hung from a tree being carried to the temple by a collegium of temple priests (can you say College of Cardinals?), who would then mourn for three days (!) until Cybele (a.k.a. the Great Mother) raised him from the dead (!). By the way, this is also the origin of the Christmas tree.
Forget the whole Moses thing about Attis being found in the reeds and stuff. Let's just look at what Francesco did immediately after being crowned pope. He 'ran away' to the chapel of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is dedicated to...guess who? The mother of Jesus, or Magna Mater - the Great Mother. And there in the chapel is, of course, a large effigy of a man hung on a tree who died and was mourned for three days before being resurrected. Starting to sound familiar?
Yup, when you start scratching the surface, a familiar odor wafts up. There's something rotten in Rome. And don't forget that the festival of the goddess Esther (Easter) is just around the corner.
Any way you slice it, 2013 is going to be a fun year. Queen Liz 2 is ailing to be followed by William. Queen Beatrix is retiring, to be followed by William (2) of Orange. Bennie just handed the keys to Frank. And Missy Kate is fixing to pop in July.
Oh, and that Global Coastal Event thing from the web bots and the Far Sight Institute.
Just no getting around it. Time to grab the popcorn, your favorite libation and settle in for the show.
I'm heading for the hills. Anyone care to follow?
PS- Did I mention that March is named for the god Mars? He's the god of war. Or how about March coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb (sheep)? Or that Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March not too far from where the Vatican is now? Or that Easter will fall very close to the Vernal Equinox this year (which has a bunch a symbols attached)? Or how about Missy Kate's baby scheduled to pop in July, which is named for Julius Caesar?
