A buried fact in America history, in fact, the most buried fact in America history involves the warfare of native American tribes against each other before the coming of to be saint, Junipero Serra.
Across California are sites where one tribe wiped out another or sold the captives to the colonizers. The idea that the natives were peace-loving among themselves is a huge myth in America.
Right in Iowa, my home state, is the area of Tete des Mortes Creek, where on tribe killed another tribe. When the French settlers came to the area, they found the skulls of thousands who had been slaughtered by another tribe.
The same was true when Thomas Aquinas College was being built. Bones of one tribe, as in Iowa, left to the sun and elements, a great dishonor, were discovered and finally buried.
Junipero Serra brought peace among nations, and helped those who were left in poverty by their own race. He also protected the natives against the colonial slavers, as did many of the Jesuits in South America.
To blame Catholics for the ill-treatment of native tribes has to be one of the glaring areas of anti-Catholicism in America. Yes, there were evil conquerors, but these men were not representative of the Church, but of satan.
God called the missionaries to preach the one, true religion to the peoples of the world. This is demanded of God for all of us. And, to pretend that the lifestyles of the natives were civilizations is also a myth. This ideal of the primitive being better or more human than those from Spain, or England or France is, again, another myth.
Junipero Serra brought modesty, health and peace to many. He, like a good Franciscan, lived in the poverty which plagued many around him. He was a humble servant of St. Francis.
Catholics who forget the command of God to evangelize the world do so because they have lost their own faith. The natives, like all pagans, worshipped demons, who visited them in the disguise of animals or other gods. There is no comparison with the Gospel and native religions.
Relativism is not only a heresy but a sin. It is the sin of unbelief, of apostasy.
Junipero Serra and the Franciscans founded safe havens, schools, and beautiful mission churches for all the people to whom they preached.
Do we need a reminder of Christ's Own words:
Matthew 28:19New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
God commands this of all of us who are baptized. We do not have a choice, if we want to meet Him in heaven.
