Francis by Patrick J. Marrin for November 02, 2015

I’d be obliged if someone could tell me what Brother Leo is referring to.

On Pope Francis’ trip to America he spoke of inspiring American people such as Abraham Lincoln, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton..He canonized Junipero Serra, the Franciscan founder of the California Missions (though he died before they were all built). .Serra got a “bumpy ride” because of protests based on stories of treatment of Native Americans. Some say he was trying to protect them from secular officials, others say he mistreated them.

Brother Leo has already canonized Day and Merton in his own mind, reflecting the sympathies of many of us.

Aye.

Thanks to all of you, especially Pelican47, for unpacking the cartoon. Sorry some of these are so esoteric, but Pope Francis’ holding up of Day and Merton along with Lincoln and King in his address to Congress, sent strong signals across the Catholic landscape about what he sees as true holiness. Day worked with the poor and Merton was a strong advocate for peace during the Vietnam War.

The Serra canonization was complicated. Francis is from Latin America, and knows the many tragedies involved in the European conquest of the New World. Millions of indigenous people died, slavery was common, whole cultures were destroyed. We know this in our own North American history.

Not so. Say rather recognizing God’s work of sanctifying us and holding up the results as guides and reminders of what we all hope for and should be aiming for.

Besides, the whole thing depends on God being God of the living, not the dead—as in Matthew 22:32.

serra’s work establishing missions reached countless numbers. he was a strong defender of the new world inhabitants, wanted to christianize them, but not enslave them. the natives he worked with are/were a very different set of people and cultures than those the english met later.

You know, every once in a while, a French bishop gits a burr up his bonnet and ordains a woman……………that guy should be a saint.