This just infuriates me. How tone deaf is the Roman Catholic Church? Why does the church feel compelled to canonize a person who was at the heart of -
enslaving
famine
destruction of an entire culture
sickness
death
brutalizing
demeaning-
the indigenous people of early California.
The church's response to those long accepted facts regarding Father Serra-
he isn't perfect. Really? Is that all they have in defense of him? basically , yes.
So who is Father Serra and why does any of this matter?
Here is a non correct but totally accurate portrait of the guy.
He was the main catholic priest who oversaw the founding of missions in early California.
And he was brutal. Some scholars believe that Serra would never have said that about himself because he only sought to make good Christians out of heretics. or whatever.
I am sure you have heard this, turning heathens into civilized humans, garbage argument before. Well now the church is making that guy of into a saint.
I had a friend who's grandson wanted to be a priest. The idea revolted her mainly because of Serra. She was a Native American.
She isn't alone in finding Serra revolting. Two hundred and fifty years later Native Americans know this guy
This guy is not forgotten and not forgiven- by a long shot. Nor should he be.
One other ridiculous argument the church has drug out-the- this was a long time ago and by his times he would have been considered progressive
Yeah right.
Colonization at the hands of a bible and a weapon isn't a concept that one can soothe by time.
For the Catholic church in 2015 to still honor those brutal traditions of conquering in the name of God is sickening. I am kind of surprised by this.