Why Native Americans Oppose Junipero Serra’s Sainthood
Pope Francis’s choice to canonize the California priest has raised protests.
On his visit to Washington, Pope Francis will canonize a controversial friar who he has called a “founding father of the U.S.,” a man who helped Spain colonize California in the 1700s. Junipero Serra gave rise to cities such as San Diego and San Francisco. His lifelong goal was to baptize Native Americans—the same reason many protest his upcoming sainthood.
From her home in Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles, Caroline Ward-Holland heard the announcement in January. Pope Francis told journalists as he flew in
