Free Republic

When Pope Francis canonizes Father Junípero Serra on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., Serra will be the first Hispanic American saint, and the first saint canonized on American soil. He also figures to be one of the most controversial saints in the long history of the Roman Catholic Church – a symbol that roils some hearts even as it lifts others. Serra, an 18th-century Spanish friar who founded nine of the 21 California missions, including Mission San Juan Capistrano, is gaining sainthood, in part, because he helped bring the church to the Americas. By one reckoning, Serra’s legacy is nothing less...

As worries mount over crumbling walls at California's 21 Spanish-era missions, one man says another historic wall deserves equal preservation. The Rev. Barry Lynn claims that spending $10 million in taxpayer money to renovate the structures would breach a constitutional barrier against government funding for religion. The hard-line advocate for church and state separation is locked in a legal battle that tests the constitutionality of federal legislation to fund renovations. Supporters say the money is a must to save monuments that are priceless windows on the West's past. Lynn realizes his challenge won't win many fans in the Golden State....