SERIES: JANUS: The Return Of The "God" Of New Beginnings
Part 8: JANUS: The Key, The Scepter And Disciplinary Authority
By Ed Tarkowski

JANUS: Moving The World On Its Hinges By His Command

Janus's power and authority to determine the beginning and ending of all
things, as well as controlling all things in between, extended from the key
and the scepter that he held. By these he "moved the world . . . at his
command":

"He opened and closed all things, and sat, not only on the confines of the
Earth, but also at the gates of Heaven. Air, sea and land were in the hollow
of his hands, and the world moved on its hinges at his command" (Lestat, "Of
Gods And Men: The A-Z Of Mythology And Legend,"
http://www.clubi.ie/lestat/greekj.html).

I was struck by this phrase, "and the world moved on its hinges at his
command." When the Pope opens the "Holy Door" in December, imagine the
influence and impact it will have on the world, who will turn their
attention to the beginning celebrations of a new millennium. I want to
repeat the prophecy of Pope Clement's visitors in 1350, which stated the
effect that some future pope would have on "the whole world":

"They reported that on the night before their audience with the pope 'there
appeared to us a vision of a certain venerable personage bearing two keys in
his hand, who addressed to us the following words, "Open the door, and from
it send forth A FIRE by which THE WHOLE WORLD may be warmed and ENLIGHTENED"
(caps mine).

Here are two quotes concerning the new millennium from Part 1 which show
again the attributes of Janus in the words of the Pope:

". . . The holy door of the Jubilee of the Year 2000 should be SYMBOLICALLY
wider than those of previous jubilees, because HUMANITY, upon reaching this
goal, will leave behind not just a century but a millennium" (Pope John Paul
II, As the Third Millennium Draws Near [Tertio Mellennio Adveniente]; caps
mine).

"One thing is certain: Everyone is asked to do as much as possible to ensure
that the great challenge of the year 2000 is not overlooked, for this
challenge certainly involves a special grace of the Lord for the church and
for the WHOLE OF HUMANITY" (Third Millennium, #55; caps mine).

Is it not appropriate to say that the Pope, like Janus of old, is moving
"the world on its hinges at his command"?

We've been looking at the symbolism of the "Holy Door" and the spiritual
realities and powers not of God that will be released when the Pope opens
it. There is no demon in the door, but once opened, we will see there is a
spirit "in the threshold" that will be unleashed, a spirit of Love, Unity
and Peace leading the way to a new civilization.

JANUS: Keeper Of The Keys And Scepter

Two keys were prominant in the vision told to Pope Clement in the 14th
century. That made the Pope the keeper of whatever these keys represented.
They were SPIRITUAL in nature, not physical keys, and therefore symbolic.

Regarding Janus, not only did he hold a key to the archways and doors and
harbors, etc. in order to open the doors to all things, he also held the
scepter or stick by which he controlled "all undertakings and their progress":

"Janus was first the god of all doorways: of public gates (jani) through
which roads passed, and of private doors. His insignia were thus the key
which opens and closes the door, and the stick (virga) which porters
employed to drive away those who had no right to cross the threshold. His
two faces (Janus bifrons) allowed him to observe both the exterior and
interior of the house, and the entrance and exit of public buildings" (GODS
OF THE STATE: PRINCIPAL DIVINITIES, Janus, New Larousse Encyclopedia Of
Mythology, Introduction By Robert Graves, Roman, pp. 200-202).

"In his [Janus'] left hand he held a key, to show that he opened all things
in the beginning, and shuts them at the end, and in his right hand he
carried the sceptre with which he controlled all undertakings and their
progress" (Lestat, "Of Gods And Men: The A-Z Of Mythology And Legend,"
http://www.clubi.ie/lestat/greekj.html).

This controlling of "all undertakings and their progress" well describes the
Pope, holding the spiritual key to open the Holy Door, initiating the new
millennium Jubilee, and facilitating its progress, and closing this Door a
year later:

"Special tasks and responsibilities with regard to the Great Jubilee of the
Year 2000 belong to the ministry of the bishop of Rome. In a certain sense,
all the popes of the past century have prepared for this jubilee" (As the
Third Millennium Draws Near, Tertio Mellennio Adveniente, Apostolic Letter
of Pope John Paul II released on November 14, 1994).

Janus' "scepter" or stick (virga) was used by his porters to "drive away
those who had no right to cross the threshold." The Pope, too, carries such
a symbol of authority for basically the same purposes. The New Advent web
site has an article on the Pope's "Crosier (Or PASTORAL STAFF)" which
describes its history, use, and symbolism. I have summarized the information
here, but you can read the full article at the New Advent web site:
(http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/04515c.htm; From the Catholic
Encyclopedia, copyright © 1913 by the Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic
version copyright © 1997 by New Advent, Inc.)

Some trace the pastoral staff back to the shepherd's use of a crook as a
walking stick, or as an aid in rescuing sheep in danger. Others see its
origin in the rod used by the Roman augurs in their divinations. Its use in
the liturgy probably dates back to the fifth century, although from the
eleventh century until the twentieth, the crosier wasn't used. Pope Paul VI
reinstituted use of the staff in its present form, a silver rod topped by a
crucifix and "corpus," a hanging emaciated-looking body of Christ.
(http://www.ghg.net/shetler/catholic/vestments/staff.html)

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the "crosier is symbol of authority
and jurisdiction." The article (published in 1913 and so describing the
older form of staff), continues:

"It is then, as Durandus (Rationale Divin. Off., III, xv) says, borne by
prelates to signify their authority to correct vices, stimulate piety,
administer punishment, and thus rule and govern with a gentleness that is
tempered with severity. The same author goes on to say that, as the rod of
Moses was the seal and emblem of his Divine commission as well as the
instrument of the miracles he wrought, so is the episcopal staff the symbol
of that doctrinal and disciplinary power of bishops in virtue of which they
may sustain the weak and faltering, confirm the wavering in faith, and lead
back the erring ones into the true fold. Barbosa (Pastoralis Sollicitudinis,
etc., Tit. I, ch. v) alluding to the prevalent form of the staff, says that
the end is sharp and pointed wherewith to prick and goad the slothful, the
middle is straight to signify righteous rule, while the head is bent or
crooked in order to draw in and attract souls to the ways of God. Bona
(Rerum liturgic., I, xxiv) says THE CROSIER IS TO BISHOPS WHAT THE SCEPTRE
IS TO KINGS. In deference to this symbolism bishops always carry the crosier
with the crook turned outwards, while inferior prelates hold it with the
head reversed. . . ." (caps mine).

So the Papacy has a scepter equivalent to Janus' scepter by which he
controlled "all undertakings and their progress" and which the porters used
"to drive away those who had no right to cross the threshold." Like Janus'
porters, the Bishops and others holding offices in the church also have
designated "pastoral staffs." As the Bishop of Rome, the Pope's staff is "to
[him] what the scepter is to kings."

I will close this section by noting that one of the degrees, or orders, of
the catholic Churches sacrament of Holy Orders that a candidate for the
Roman Catholic priesthood receives is the "Order of Porter." One of his
duties, to "keep undesirables out of the divine services," is the same as
the function of Janus' porters: to keep unbelievers out of the "temple."
Porters are the gatekeepers or "ostiarii," a term derived from the Latin for
"the door." (For more information on this, see True Catholic Home Page, "The
Order Of Porter," http://www.truecatholic.org/ordporter.htm.)

Continued in Part 9.