Ever since Pope Francis has held the Papacy (position of Pontiff) in March 2013 he has remain less formal than that of his immediate predecessors. He has been more concern for reaching out to the poor and have himself lived his life with great austerity. Pope Francis has chosen not to live in the official Papal resident, which is a big palace, but to remain in the Vatican guest house so that he can easily receive the visitors. This has made him easily accessible to the common people. He has repeatedly urged the world leaders to fight social inequality and increasing poverty caused by neoliberalism. Pope Francis is having an interesting role in the international diplomacy. In year 2014-15 he played a key role in restoring diplomatic relations between USA and Cuba. In May 2014 his visit to the state of Israel was heavily publicized. In February 2019 recently he visited Abu Dhabi, in UAE, on the invitation of Mohammad Bin Zayed the crown prince of Emirate. Pope Francis is the first Pope ever to visit any Arabian country. He hold a Papal mass with more than 1.2 Lakh (more than one million) attendees in Zayed sports stadium there.
{Note- This article of mine was written in 2019 and was published in the July 2020 issue of Express Star Teller Magazine. The same has been reproduce here for the readers of this blog}
Horoscope of Pope Francis
17 December 1936, 21:00 hours at Buenos Aires, Argentina
Longitude: 58 W 40’ and Latitude: 34 S 35’
Day Time Saving: 01:00 hours.
Source: https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Pope_Francis_I.
Balance of Dasha in Vimshottari: Moon 2 years 9 months 28 days
The Gemini (Mithuna) lagna horoscope of Pope Francis is cast on the basis of his birth details given at his birth certificate (Reference link : https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Pope_Francis_I. ) Pope Francis was born as Jorge Mario Bergogilo in Buenos Aires the capital of Argentina in a middle class family. He was eldest among 5 children which is astrologically clear as his 11th lord is in own Nakshatra. The 11th house lord or 3rd house lord in own Nakshatra can make a native eldest or youngest among siblings or brother/sisters. The Rahu in the 3rd or 11th house also does the same. {Refer to my article- Drekkana chart and astrological combinations for brothers-sisters}
In case of Pope Francis the 11th lord Mars is in own Nakshatra Chitra making him the eldest among co-born. A strong 9th lord Saturn in own house shows a religious career. The 7th lord Jupiter is combust by Sun and is under double affliction from malefic planets. An afflicted 7th lord shows his lack of interest in materialist matters since early years of his life.
Early education and health problems
Now notice the Moon which is in the 8th house of ‘Sadhana’ along with 5th lord Venus which made him study religious texts. The conjunction of Moon-Venus is also a combination for the study of chemistry. He graduated from secondary school as chemistry technician. It was the maha dasha of Rahu (from 1946 to 1964) that made him study technical subject initially. In year 1957 at the age of 21 he suffered from a life threatening phenomena when dasha of Rahu-Ketu in Vimshottari was in operation. See the affliction on the lagna lord Mercury which is in Rahu-Ketu axis and under the aspect of Mars from the 4th house of lungs. Moon the karaka for lungs is in the 8th house. In Navamsha the Rahu-Ketu covers the 2/8 axis which has to give him a dangerous disease during their dasha. The Chara dasha was of Pisces which get the aspects of Atamakaraka Mars, Darakaraka Sun, Ganatikaraka Jupiter and Rahu. But the aspects of Mercury and Jupiter, which are natural benefic planets, on this Rashi dasha saved his life. A part of his lung was removed. Thus he is practically living with one functional lung since then.
Joining the Jesuit to become Priest
In 1958 Bergogilo entered the Society of Jesus during the Rahu-Ketu dasha in Vimshottari in the month of March. For next 3 years during his Rahu-Venus dasha from May 1958 to May 1961 he studied humanities and philosophy. See the lordship of Venus here which is the 5th lord. He also said that “as a young seminarian, he had a crush on a girl he met and briefly doubted about continuing a religious career”. Astrologically one can easily understand this important event in the life of Bergogilo, who is now Pope Francis, as he was then under the Rahu-Venus dasha in Vimshottari which is well known to bring an intense attraction towards opposite sex. However since Bergogilo having a strong Saturn in the 9th house was destined for a great religious career so he has to march towards the path of divinity.
Ordained to the Priesthood
The maha dasha of Jupiter started in 1964 which gave him intense religious studies. In 1967 he finished his theological studies and was ordained to the priesthood on 13 December 1969 during Jupiter-Mercury dasha in Vimshottari. Jupiter, the planet of Dharma, is with Sun making a ‘Raja Lakshan Yoga’. In Chandra Kundali Jupiter is the lord of 12th house in own Rashi with 9th lord Mercury in a great yoga for religious career. In Navamsha Jupiter as the lord of Navamsha is giving aspect to the 9th house from its sign of exaltation. Notice here the 4 planets aspect to the 9th house of Navamsha chart which make it extraordinary strong. In Dashamsha Jupiter as the 5th lord is in own house along with 9th lord Moon in mutual aspect with Saturn showing a religious career. See the strong 9th house in Dashamsha again here an exalted Mars, Venus and Jupiter all give aspect to the 9th house. In Vimshamsha chart, which is important for spiritual or religious life, Jupiter is in the 9th house along with Saturn the Karaka for Vairagya.
Progress in religious career during Saturn maha dasha
The maha dasha of 9th lord Saturn ( 1980 to 1999) in own house in birth chart gave him immense progress in his religious career and his work for the welfare of poor was highly appreciated in Argentina. He became Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires on 27 June 1992 during his Saturn-Moon dasha in Vimshottari. The transiting Saturn was in Makar Rashi over his natal Moon so it was a ‘Sadhe-Sati’ in 1992 for Bergogilo giving him a new responsibility. Moon is with the 5th lord in Rashi chart and in Dashamsha chart both. Any planet in association with 5th and/or 9th lord can give Raja Yoga as per Bhriat Parashra Hora Shastra. In Vimshamsha Moon is the lord of lagna and is exalted in the 11th house of gains.
On 21st of February 2001 he became cardinal when he was pasting by Mercury-Mercury in Vimshottari.
Elected as Pope
It was in Mercury-Jupiter in Vimshottari on 13 March 2013 when cardinal Bergogilo was elected as a Pope. He chooses Francis as his papal name in the honour of Saint Francis of Assisi. Throughout his public life Pope Francis has been noted for his humility and concern for poor. A strong Jupiter in own Rashi and in exalted in Navamsha explains his humanitarian approach. An unafflicted Saturn in Rashi and Navamsha gives him concern for the poor.
Sadhe-Sati of Pope Francis
The Pope Francis is now under his fourth ‘Sadhe-Sati’ of his life. Saturn is transiting in the Sagittarius at present which is the 12th house of his natal Moon in Capricorn Rashi. On the 25th of December Saturn will ingress into Capricorn. In the next 2.5 years Saturn would then be transiting over his natal Moon and in Vimshottari he is passing through the maha dasha of malefic Ketu (October 2016 to October 2023) which is clearly showing some concern for his health at serious level. The maha dasha of Ketu is the 7th dasha of his life which for a ‘Poorna Aayu’ Kundali can become Maraka (fatal for life).
In Jaimini Chara dasha it is the period of Gemini from December 2019 to December 2025. Gemini sign having Ketu is getting the Jaimini aspects of Mars (Atamakaraka), Rahu , Jupiter (Ganatikaraka), Sun (Darakaraka) and Mercury (Matrikaraka). Except Mercury and to some extent Jupiter all these planets giving aspect to Dasha Rashi Gemini are very sensitive for his health. Ganatikaraka is disease giving planet while Darakaraka can be fatal for life when other Maraka Dashas are running.
In transit the Rahu-Ketu axis are at their natal position in the horoscope of Pope Francis. A Lunar and then a Solar Eclipse will fall over his lagna and 7th houses in the months of June-July next year which can give him bad health. Ketu-Rahu dasha in Vimshottari would be running from September 2019 to October 2020. This can give some kind of infection which could be related with lungs also considering his weak 4th house and natal Moon in the 8th house. The subsequent dasha of Ketu-Jupiter (October 2020 to September 2021) is also not very favourable for the health of Pope Francis. He may have to retire due to serious health issues during 2020-2022. The Ketu-Rahu period in 2020 and Ketu-Jupiter in year 2021 will aggravate his health problems and can end his religious career. Pope Francis will be remember as a great progressive reformer of catholic church for a long time.
