Pope Francis closes out his day with a Mass at the one of the most important Roman Catholic churches in the United States, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

 

There, he will canonize 18th century Spanish missionary Friar Junipero Serra over the objections of critics who say that Serra suppressed Native American cultures in what is now California.

 

The Franciscan missionary built a series of missions along the Pacific coast in the latter 18th century to spread the faith among Native Americans there. Serra, who died in 1784 and is buried at Mission Carmel in northern California, founded nine of the missions.

 

The Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles dedicated one of its chapels to Junipero Serra, the 18th century Spanish Franciscan friar who founded many of the Catholic missions of California, on September 17, ahead of his canonization next week.

 

The new chapel features an exhibit with paintings and relics, including a stole worn by Serra. According to the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Serra is the first Hispanic saint to be canonized in the United States. Among the artworks on display is a painting by sacred artist Lalo Garcia depicting Serra with a halo.

 

"This moment is important because Pope Francis is one of the first Latino popes and he's coming to the United States to make a saint of a Hispanic, Latino, Mexican and that's important for Mexicans, Hispanics and Latinos of Latin America," said Ruben Mendoza, a professor of archaeology and director of the Institute of Archaeology at California State University, Monterey Bay.

 

Serra's canonization is not considered an important moment among California Native Americans. Many tribal leaders in California say Serra beat and imprisoned local peoples, suppressed their cultures and facilitated the spread of diseases that decimated the population. Some have even referred to the missions as concentration camps, where natives were forced into slave labor, building the missions, maintaining the crops and livestock, and then forbidden to leave its walls.

 

The issue has brought about monthly protests at the Lady of the Angels Cathedral. Members of Mexica Movement, a self-proclaimed indigenous rights educational organization, have been picketing the church on various Sundays since the canonization announcement was made early this year. They flash signs depicting Serra with the Nazi swastika.  — Reuters