Chief Redblood Blasts Popes Decision to Canonize Junipero Serra

tay

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A Native American chief has blasted the pope's decision to canonize a controversial 18th century California missionary.


Pope Francis announced his decision to make Junipero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan friar who founded nine missions in the state, a saint on Thursday.


Anthony Morales, Chief Redblood of the Gabrielino Tongva Band of Mission Indians, said he was "stunned" and "angry" by the move, and is hoping the pontiff will reverse his decision.


"On all the 21 missions along the coast here our people were enslaved, they were beaten, they were tortured, our women were raped. It was forced labor and a forced religion," Morales said. "There's nothing saintly about the... atrocities on our culture, on our people."


Father Serra himself justified the beating of Native Americans, writing in 1780:


"That spiritual fathers should punish their sons, the Indians, with blows appears to be as old as the conquest of the Americas; so general in fact that the saints do not seem to be any exception to the rule."

Father Edward Benioff of the LA Archdiocese defended the conduct of the controversial missionary.


"He lived in a very difficult time and he did the best he could under very difficult circumstances," Father Benioff said.






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"There's Nothing Saintly About the Atrocities": Native American Chief Blasts Decision to Canonize Junipero Serra | NBC Southern California
 

MHz

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Probably had to go that far back to find one that wouldn't be remembered by some victim, . . . I mean beloved member of the flock.
 

gopher

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Should We Celebrate the Legacy of Junípero Serra, California's Founding Father? | LA as Subject | SoCal Focus | KCET



Serra tried to exterminate Indigenous people before trying to convert them to his version of Christianity. As Johnston McCulley wrote in his novel Zorro, it was these missionaries who stole land from those victims and enriched the wealthy caballeros and their clans. Mebbe the pope should have considered the Bible's teaching about thou shall not steal and a few other lessons before making this decision.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Maybe the Indians shoulda found somebody who's not so laughably pretentious as to use "Chief Redblood" as his handle to be their spokesunit.

A hundred bucks says he ain't a chief of any kind.
 

BaalsTears

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This is taken from the Annals of Chief Too Sweet of the Ohlone Indian Tribe: "The Indians of California loved Father Serra. He saved them from their heathen ways, increased their average lifespans, and taught them modern dance. They called him El Salvador."
 

MHz

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They killed them if they didn't convert, that is how they lived longer.
ISIS is going to use those exact words in their next beheading vid.
 

MHz

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I'm pretty sure you are the only one to Sherlock through all my (obviously false) biblical references. I should have paid attention to you having two event horizons in the same passage. I hate it when that happens. So, . . . punishment time right? I've been very bad.
 

Locutus

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Pat, Vini, Lolly and Carlos. Buncha good ol' rockin' half-breeds. Sure as hell beats that Crazy Cajun Cakewalk Band.

 

gopher

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"That spiritual fathers should punish their sons, the Indians, with blows appears to be as old as the conquest of the Americas; so general in fact that the saints do not seem to be any exception to the rule."


Terrorists always try to justify themselves with propaganda like that. Serra was the Osama bin Laden of his times as they were two of a kind.