Pope Francis Canonizes First Hispanic Saint

The ceremony, part of the pope’s first Mass in the United States, was in keeping with the pope’s theme of evangelization this year.

But as much as he is revered, particularly in the Latino community, he is controversial. However, history also recorded that he was cruel and allegedly brutalized Native Americans.

Washington’s archbishop, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, said the Mass would give Francis, a native of Argentina, an opportunity to highlight the contributions of Hispanics to the nation and the church.

“Junípero sought to defend the dignity of the native community, to protect it from those who had mistreated and abused it”, the pontiff said.

At the Carmel Mission, the Very Rev. Peter Crivello, vicar general of the Diocese of Monterey, said that Wednesday’s ceremony is about Serra’s work as an evangelizer of the people.

Church scholars say relics aren’t magic talismans but reminders of the holiness of particular men and women and inspirations to prayer.

Protests did take place at some missions in California, however.

Two remain here in San Diego.

The pope warned against being “anesthetized”: “Our daily routine can often lead us to a kind of glum apathy which gradually becomes a habit, with a fatal effect: our hearts grow numb”.

Beatified: In 1987, Pope John Paul II beatified Serra, a key step toward sainthood. He said, “Francis has generated such great enthusiasm. Our voices and our pain are still not recognized as valid”, she said.

Serra, who came to California almost 250 years ago, is the first saint to be canonized on USA soil.

He acknowledged that the country will be “challenged by [the immigrants’] diversity” but said that they “possess resources meant to be shared”.

The pope’s apology did little to quiet those who oppose the canonization.

“Most of the cities along the coast in California and the missions were his brain child”, she said. I would love to have the chance to be blessed by him. I think that’s the important thing.

“The pope is the vicar of Christ”, she said.

“We do have the same name, we actually have the same birthday, and I go to his school, which, is the Serra Institute for Catechists”, he said while wearing a purple St. Junipero Serra t-shirt. “That brings a lot of life to the church”.

He sent us this report from Washington, DC. Serra was an 18th century Spanish missionary credited with spreading Christianity in California.

Q: When did he travel west? “This former Catholic priest had a strong influence on everyone of the Catholic faith“.

The Mass’s first reading, from the Biblical book of Isaiah, was read in the Chochenyo language spoken in the region where Serra served as a missionary.

Critics say his legacy includes forced labor to support the missions, which were critical to Spain’s ambitions in the region.

Nieblas received a blessing from a majority of his tribe, the Juañeno Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, to meet with Francis. They blame Serra – whether he personally laid a hand on Indians or not – for the destruction of their culture and the decimation of their ancestors from European diseases as well as for the punishment inflicted on those who tried to run away.