Pope Francis has had an active visit to the United States so far. On the same day he spoke out about climate change, he added a new saint to the Catholic pantheon. Junipero Serra became the first saint to be canonized in the United States on Wednesday, according to The Guardian.
The history-making event is getting a lot of attention, for more than one reason. Serra was a Spanish missionary, and his canonization is already controversial because of his spotty reputation. Multiple Native American groups staged a protest at Serra's burial site to show disapproval of Serra's sainthood.
He was a very active missionary in the western U.S. and founded nine Catholic missions in the state of California. He came to the United States in 1769, according to CNN. However, history also recorded that he was cruel and allegedly brutalized Native Americans. They were reportedly beaten, kidnapped, even held in his missions as virtual slaves until they converted to Catholicism.
The pope performed the elaborate canonization mass in Washington, D.C. at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This is the biggest Catholic church in the U.S. The historic canonization was attended by around 25,000 people, according to The Los Angeles Times.
