At the same time, Francis also conferred sainthood of Junipero Serra, a missionary from the Chruch whose practices of enforced labor and conversion of the natives of California are considered by many among the worst parts of the effort to exterminate the cultures and religions of indigenous Americans . Indian historians and authors blame Father Serra for the suppression of their culture and the premature deaths at the missions of thousands of their ancestors. Serra’s legacy included forced labor of converted Indians in order to support the missions. Serra’s own views are documented. In 1780, Serra wrote: “that spiritual fathers should punish their sons, the Indians, with blows appears to be as old as the conquest of the Americas; so general in fact that the saints do not seem to be any exception to the rule.” Pope Francis has argued that Serra should be considered one of America’s Founding Father.
After leaving the Vatican, Raul Castro gushed with praise for Francis. At the same time the Pope sanctified Junipero Serra, a man regarded like Castro as a ideologue willing to sacrifice other people’s lives for his beliefs.
The pontiff “is a Jesuit, and I, in some way, am too, .. (I am) very impressed by his wisdom, his modesty, and all his virtues that we know he has.” “I always studied at Jesuit schools.” `’When the pope goes to Cuba in September, I promise to go to all his Masses, and with satisfaction,” “I read all the speeches of the pope, his commentaries, and if the pope continues this way, I will go back to praying and go back to the church, and I’m not joking,”
`’I am from the Cuban Communist Party, that doesn’t allow (religious) believers, but now we are allowing it, it’s an important step,” Castro said.