If they were able to escape, they were captured and whipped upon orders of Serra himself. All of this information is documented to some extent. Even if there aren’t direct accounts of Junipero torturing innocent people, there are documents of the friars working below him. “Two or three whippings which Your Lordship may order applied to them on different days may serve, for them and for the rest, for a warning may be of spiritual benefit to all,” Serra ordered. (Lopez) Were documents like those written off as someone else’s fault? Or were they not considered at fault whatsoever? It was known that, “many New World clergy supported the viceroy, because temporary slavery was an effective policy.” (Mechaca 77.) This is the system that Serra lead,
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Junipero Serra had one “confirmed miracle” involving a nun in Missouri that was cured of Lupus by Serra. This allowed the title of “Blessed” to be bestowed. The next suspicious act is that Pope Francis waived the need for a second miracle. This skip in the process allowed Serra to be canonized on demand. Why was Francis in a rush to canonize Serra? Why would the Pope want to expedite this process for a man that he never knew, or even venerated himself? There is one personal connection between the two men. Pope Francis is the first Hispanic pope, and now Junipero Serra is the first Hispanic saint. It is risky to honor Serra despite the great opposition, and so perhaps if a Hispanic Pope backs the process it is somehow less offensive. If a Pope born in Argentina (to Italian parents) can forgive and support a patriarchal man responsible for the deaths of thousands, shouldn’t the indigenous in South America, Central America, and the United States also have it in their hearts to do the same? It is unlikely that Pope’s birthplace actually makes any descendants of the victims of Spanish colonialism feel better about this injustice. However, to those who are unaware of the suffering that occurred in the missions, it is the perfect way to honor and include America’s history in the lens of the church. This expected ignorance is the medium through which …show more content…
It is beneficial to the church to recreate a history that was never particularly important to them. It is as if they want to say that Catholicism in America has always had this Hispanic element to it. It is highly likely that even the decision to elect Cardinal Bergoglio (Now Pope Francis) was a political power move. Church officials all claimed to be very surprised by his election, and explained that he was unlikely to be Pope due to his age. USA Today explains that, “There were those who wanted a pope who would reform the Roman Curia, the papal bureaucracy — and preferably someone from outside Europe to represent the church 's demographic shift to the Southern Hemisphere.” They clearly recognized the shift in Catholics and felt the need to appeal to Latin America, as opposed to Europe as they always had before. Even his age, 76, which has made him an unlikely candidate initially was a positive factor in his election. “He is in good health but not so young that he is likely have a marathon pontificate. All those elements made for an appealing combination.” (USA Today) Essentially this means that he will live long enough to make changes that make the Church look good to the Hispanic/Latin population, but not long enough to really
Junipero Serra had one “confirmed miracle” involving a nun in Missouri that was cured of Lupus by Serra. This allowed the title of “Blessed” to be bestowed. The next suspicious act is that Pope Francis waived the need for a second miracle. This skip in the process allowed Serra to be canonized on demand. Why was Francis in a rush to canonize Serra? Why would the Pope want to expedite this process for a man that he never knew, or even venerated himself? There is one personal connection between the two men. Pope Francis is the first Hispanic pope, and now Junipero Serra is the first Hispanic saint. It is risky to honor Serra despite the great opposition, and so perhaps if a Hispanic Pope backs the process it is somehow less offensive. If a Pope born in Argentina (to Italian parents) can forgive and support a patriarchal man responsible for the deaths of thousands, shouldn’t the indigenous in South America, Central America, and the United States also have it in their hearts to do the same? It is unlikely that Pope’s birthplace actually makes any descendants of the victims of Spanish colonialism feel better about this injustice. However, to those who are unaware of the suffering that occurred in the missions, it is the perfect way to honor and include America’s history in the lens of the church. This expected ignorance is the medium through which …show more content…
It is beneficial to the church to recreate a history that was never particularly important to them. It is as if they want to say that Catholicism in America has always had this Hispanic element to it. It is highly likely that even the decision to elect Cardinal Bergoglio (Now Pope Francis) was a political power move. Church officials all claimed to be very surprised by his election, and explained that he was unlikely to be Pope due to his age. USA Today explains that, “There were those who wanted a pope who would reform the Roman Curia, the papal bureaucracy — and preferably someone from outside Europe to represent the church 's demographic shift to the Southern Hemisphere.” They clearly recognized the shift in Catholics and felt the need to appeal to Latin America, as opposed to Europe as they always had before. Even his age, 76, which has made him an unlikely candidate initially was a positive factor in his election. “He is in good health but not so young that he is likely have a marathon pontificate. All those elements made for an appealing combination.” (USA Today) Essentially this means that he will live long enough to make changes that make the Church look good to the Hispanic/Latin population, but not long enough to really