Why Native Americans Are Outraged Over the Vatican’s First Hispanic U.S. Saint

A "man of his time,"  what a freaking cop-out!!

The Virgen de Guadalupe is depicted with spikes around her, much like the Nahua serpent god Quetzalcoatl. Though her original purpose as a way to secretly practice the old religion has since been forgotten, the indigenous Mexican still exists in her DNA. It also exists in the stones of the basilica. It exists in the Mestizo.

Mexico is Catholic because of conquest. It is Catholic because many years ago the Spanish came and brought with them murder, disease, and Catholicism. The Indians were forced to accept a foreign faith, and if they refused, they were met with violence.

It is a violence that has shaped Latin America.

And now, Native American groups are furious that the Vatican is seeking to canonize as a saint a man who perpetuated that violence.

According to Latin Post, Pope Francis will canonize Junípero Serra, an 18^th century Hispanic friar in Baja California who was responsible for bringing Catholicism to much of California.

Why Native Americans Are Outraged Over the Vatican’s First Hispanic U.S. Saint