By DEB PIROCH
What grounds do Black Lives Matter anarchists have for beheading statues of St. Junipero Serra? In a word, none. It’s time to lay to rest the lie that Christianization of the American Indians or, indeed, indigenous people anywhere, is a crime against their native cultures. The mode used by Fr. Juniper Serra (1713-1784) and, indeed, the Catholic Church worldwide, is “inculturation” — the habit of respecting native cultural practices not in conflict with Christianity.
Missionaries were not angry conquerors, but religious motivated to spread the love of the faith and Christ’s message for mankind. Father’s efforts were always meant to benefit the natives, beginning foremost with the faith, but also providing education and governance and knowledge of trades, all to enable the natives to govern themselves. American Indians were never forced to convert to Catholicism by Fr. Serra and, in fact, today many Native Americans still remain Catholic. This in itself testifies that they do not feel anything but love for Catholicism.
Spanish military forces were a different matter, but here we discuss Fr. Serra, a saint. To even become a saint demands extensive review of his life, documents, case, etc., before the Church makes this determination; implying that Serra was evil would only be done by those casting doubt on the Church herself. There is no doubt the Indians suffered a great deal over the generations, but not at the hands of St. Serra.
Born Miguel Joseph in 1713 in Mallorca, the future saint was schooled by the Franciscans and entered as a novice in the Mallorcan capital, Palma. He completed his studies with top honors, and he was ordained around 1737. After a stint of teaching, he was sent to Mexico as a missionary in 1749. The religious name he took was Juniper. Following the Franciscan principle that one should walk, not ride, he insisted that he walk on foot from Veracruz, where they landed, to Mexico City; this is a distance of well over 200 miles. In doing so, he developed a foot ailment that troubled him for the remainder of his life.
In 1767 he was ordered to take over the administration of the Upper California missions, when King Charles III expelled all the Jesuits from Spain and its colonies. Under Fr. Serra’s guidance, the first nine of eventually 21 missions were completed. Despite his foot problems, which often left him nearly crippled, he traveled great distances to serve his people, baptizing and confirming thousands himself. He is now recognized as the patron saint of California.
It is true a great many Indians died after being exposed to diseases brought by Spanish colonists. However, this was not something for which Fr. Serra or missionaries can be blamed. In the 1700s there was no knowledge of germs, antibodies, or vaccines. Nor was he guilty of “cultural genocide” — Fr. Serra and his brother missionaries did their utmost to protect the natives from harm by the Spanish military.
St. Serra’s many efforts on behalf of the Indians included his famous walk from California to Mexico City in 1773, to present a “Bill of Rights” on behalf of the Indians there. He was successful in its negotiation. Many who are making claims attacking Fr. Serra simply use him as one more club with which to pummel Mother Church.
If Black Lives Matter socialists read their history, they would know forced Baptisms were specifically forbidden even during the eighteenth century in the mission manual. It also reveals their ignorance that to become a Catholic involves periods of catechesis, only gradually proceeding to conversion and reception of the sacraments once ready.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco is one of many who have forcefully condemned the tearing down of Serra’s statue in Golden Gate Park, one of many Serra statues defaced or beheaded in recent months. On Catholic Answers, he responded, “Ultimately, it’s a rebellion against Christ” and all Western, particularly Christian heritage. He also stated St. Serra would be horrified to know of the abuses perpetuated on the Indians that escalated after his death and the lies attributed to him by “Black Lives Matter” anarchists hiding now behind a movement which is admittedly anti-family and anti-Christian.
No, Serra did not own slaves, as claimed by one liberal rag. Enslavement of Indians in California was not even legal when he was alive. Archbishop Cordileone held a prayer service June 29, blessing the ground where Serra’s statue stood and stated to the crowd:
“An act of sacrilege occurred here. That is an act of the Evil One. We came together to say the prayer of the rosary, and also the prayer of exorcism, the St. Michael Prayer, because evil is here, this is an activity of the evil one, who wants to bring down the Church, who wants to bring down all Christian believers. So we offer that prayer, and bless this ground with holy water so that God might purify it, sanctify it, that we in turn might be sanctified.
“There’s a lot that people don’t know. There’s a lot of ignorance of the real history. I’d ask our people to learn about the history of Fr. Serra, of the missions, of the whole history of the Church, so that they can appreciate the great legacy the Church has given us. (Note: These are different prayers than those used to exorcise a person from demonic possession. Source: Catholic News Agency.)
One criticism of Sr. Serra’s mission is that corporal punishment was exercised on natives being catechized who ran away without permission. Many women were also interned at night, but the reason was to protect them from sexual assault by Spanish military. Today internment would not be the answer, but it is easy in hindsight to castigate Spanish Europeans for views held in the 1700s that felt Indians were simpler, more childlike, and in need of guidance.
What we can state is that Fr. Serra was harder on himself than anyone; not content with the wearing of a hair shirt, he frequently engaged in self-flagellation and other corporal punishments to purify his soul. Nothing like this would he have allowed happen to the native Indians under his care.
Going Forward
Neither did Pope Francis give into politically correct pressures when he spoke these words at the 2015 controversial canonization of St. Junipero Serra in the United States (which, incidentally, was attended by now U.S. presidential Democratic candidate Joe Biden):
“Junipero sought to defend the dignity of the native community, to protect it from those who had mistreated and abused it. Mistreatment and wrongs which today still trouble us, especially because of the hurt which they cause in the lives of many people.”
Fr. Serra had a motto which inspired his life and work, not just a saying, but above all a reality which shaped the way he lived: siempre adelante! Keep moving forward! For him, this was the way to continue experiencing the joy of the Gospel, to keep his heart from growing numb, from being anesthetized. He kept moving forward, because the Lord was waiting. He kept going, because his brothers and sisters were waiting. He kept going forward to the end of his life. Today, like him, may we be able to say: Forward! Let’s keep moving forward! (Source: Vatican.va).
St. Junipero, we ask your intercession in defense of California, Mother Church, and all those who protect the defenseless in the service of Christ, our Lord’s mission. Amen.
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