I am willing to accept the Pope is an authority on Catholicism, but the current occupant of the post is no historian. The Los Angeles Times writes Pope Francis has called Father Junipero Serra a founding father of the United States.
He almost certainly was not that. A founding father of European-settled California, yes, but not of the United States.
You can bet were we able to interview Father Serra, he would reject the notion of CA being other than an outpost of Spain. CA's independence and subsequent acceptance into the U.S. family of non-Hispanic states would not have pleased him, proud colonialist that he was.
All true "founding fathers" of the United States were involved in its secession from British colonial status, and the creation of our uniquely nuanced Constitution and government of checks and balances. In these endeavors Father Serra took no part.
