Pope Francis canonizes Spanish missionary

On Wednesday, Pope Francis canonized Junipero Serra, an 18th-century Spanish missionary. The canonization has been controversial due to Serra’s role in forced baptisms of Native Americans and has faced backlash from many Native American organizations. Nevertheless, the pope praised the missionary’s courage in his homily during the canonization. “He was excited about blazing trails, going forth to meet many people, learning and valuing their particular customs and ways of life,” he said.