It was state control rather than sectarianism that did it in for the missions and its converts. Especially when Mexico became independent and meddled in the affairs of the church even more than the Spanish. Most of the Mexican founders were like the French revolutionaries, so called enlightened thinkers, left wing opposed to the church many I think were into masonry and other anti-clerical movements. What came to my mind also was the Cristero rebellion in the 1920s when Mexico tried to outlaw the church completely.
The amnesty crowd holds to these same godless beliefs. They are also socialist. A few things to keep in mind when you see amnesty protests again.
“American founding father”?
A totally goofy proposition. Right in the headline.
American Indians slaughtered to extinction all large American birds and all large mammals except the buffalo and they were working on that one, too. They also slaughtered to extinction all peoples that came here earlier. No one with any education buys that "at peace with nature" crap.
I certainly disagree with your sentence “masonry and other
anti-clerical movements.” There is nothing anti-religious about Free Masonry. In fact belief in a Supreme Being is
required before one is accepted as an candidate for the three degrees.
*** only to find themselves massacred by the Comanche and Apache tribes.***
A point I love to bring up every time the Pueblo Revolt is mentioned.
****Most of the population of Mexico and central and/south America are a few generations removed from head-chopping indios,***
I believe it was the Empress Carlota of Mexico (Maxl’s wife) who said that Mexico was the most non Catholic Catholic country in the New World.
Something like that.
"Purchasing indulgences that is buying forgiveness for sins commited [sic] or that might be commited [sic] in the future also were used"
Wrong-o.
First of all, notorious persons like Dominican Johann Tetzel [1465-1519) did sell indulgences on behalf of corrupt papal fund-raising projects raising money to build St. Peter's in Rome. However, in doing so they acted contrary to explicit Church regulations. This condemnation was reiterated very severely by the Council of Trent (16th century) and the sale of indulgences was *certainly* not done in the 18th century --- the time-frame of the foundation of the Alta California missions by Fr. Serra.
Second, indulgences have nothing to do with the forgiveness of sins. Indulgences are a kind of reparation to undo the temporal harms of sins already confessed, repented and forgiven. You can't "get" an indulgence for a sin which was not already confessed, repented and absolved.
Third, the idea that indulgences constituted some kind of get-out-of-jail card for sins that might be committed in the future, is a pure absurdity, typically claimed by somebody who doesn't know jack chick about Catholicism and hasn't bothered to find out.
Brian Ball, who wrote this article, seems like he's trying to portray Junipero Serra in a favorable light, but he is embarrassingly loose about his facts.
If I were his teacher, I would send this essay back, all marked up in red, for a major do-over.
I have a BA in History and took my share of California
history and geography classes. At the time (late 70s)
Father Serra was portrayed as a villain, relatively
speaking.
My late father and I used to debate the nature of the
California Indians of old. He asserted they have been
labelled “Digger Indians” because they were lazy. Not
true! Food was plentiful and easy to obtain. A society is not lazy because they don’t have to follow
buffalo herds around the Plains to survive. I call
that culture pretty smart. Plus many California
tribes utilized a variety of local vegetation to
make some of the highest qualify baskets in
North America.
Fr. Serra is a hero. The Indians thanked him, since Fr. Serra ended their constant war, saved the environment and had to patiently deal with the seven deadly sins of thirty native tribes. The 21 mission bring millions of tourists money to Calif. and are probably the best attractions in the state.
Prayer. Heavenly Father, look kindly on the missionary journey of Blessed Padre Serra, who founded nine missions of the salvation of the Indians and for the evangelization of souls. Padre Sera, brave missionary in early America, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen.
Sure, Serra was not perfect. But he humbly obeyed the Pope and followed the Lord with courage.
Protestants, Jews and Islam both hate the Catholic church and I know why. Do you?
Is the Mexica Movement still around?