By Most Rev. Thomas Daly, Bishop of Spokane,
Episcopal Adviser to Serra's USA Council
In the process of working for justice, to right historical
wrongs, the stories we tell ourselves about the past often have to be examined.
At this moment, many are calling for the removal of statues of certain
historical figures, which can certainly be debated. At the same time, some
individuals have taken it upon themselves, acting in violent mobs, to tear down
statues based on a dangerously narrow interpretation of history. As a native of
California, the destruction of a statue of St. Junipero Serra deeply troubles
me.
The Church, by no means, desires injustice to go
unanswered, but two wrongs do not make a right. If we cannot acknowledge the
good of a saint such as Junipero Serra, we risk preferring ideology to the
truth. We should acknowledge St. Junipero’s efforts to protect the natives at
the missions from harm, his efforts to offer them what he treasured most in the
world, a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. The work of
evangelization—carried out by flawed human beings—is to see all united in
Christ where there is no Greek or Jew, there is no division, and all are seen
and treated as the unique and beloved children of God the Father. St. Junipero
Serra is a great example of that legacy, flawed like all of us, but striving
with heroic virtue toward a vision of reconciliation and faith.
Tearing down statues of St. Junipero represents a perilous
trend of demonizing the good works of others in the name of ideology. Such
destruction reveals a dangerous capacity in the human heart for hatred of the
other. It risks unleashing the worst of humanity. Christians and all
people of goodwill ought to look for ways to build, not destroy. St.
Junipero, pray for us that we may continue to build a civilization of peace and
justice.
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