A statue of Junipero Serra with an Indian boy. Photo by Anatoly Terentiev / Wikipedia
Simon Moya-Smith, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, calls on Pope Francis to repeal the church edicts that have been used to justify the taking of Indian lands:
Fifteen years ago, Pope John Paul II apologized for hundreds of years of violence and subjugation that the indigenous peoples of the Americas suffered at the hands of Catholics. Pope Francis, speaking in Bolivia, followed this up in July by expressing remorse over the cruelty committed against the indigenous peoples of the Americas. "I say this to you with regret: Many grave sins were committed against the native people of America in the name of God," he said. "I humbly ask forgiveness, not only for the offense of the church herself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America." So why is he set to canonize someone whose actions would seem to fly in the face of such encouraging words? This week, during his first visit to the United States, the Pope is expected to canonize 18th-century Franciscan Friar Junipero Serra, who arrived in 1769 and founded nine of California's 21 Spanish Catholic missions. The problem is that Serra is also documented as being an extreme and unapologetic abuser of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Coast..Get the Story:
Simon Moya-Smith: Junipero Serra no saint (CNN 9/23)
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