Pope Francis canonizes Junipero Serra.

As of this writing, he can now be called Saint Junipero. 

In perhaps the most controversial act he's taken since becoming leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis canonized Junipero Serra, founder of the California missions, this afternoon in Washington D.C.

The move to saint Serra has been the subject of protests from the Native American community, who rail against abuses the church subjected them to when, more than two centuries ago, Serra and others attempted to spread Christian faith along the California coast. 

Even Serra himself admitted to being party such abuses, and once wrote, "I am willing to admit that in the infliction of [flogging], there may have been inequalities and excesses committed on the part of the some of the priests, and that we are all exposed to err in that regard."

Francis, in the ceremony today, stood behind Serra and deflected responsibility of any wrongdoing onto others, saying that Serra "sought to defend the dignity of the native community, to protect it from those who had mistreated and abused it." Yet before the arrival of Serra and the Spanish, there was no one to mistreat and abuse natives except themselves. 

Regardless of one's feelings about the Franciscan priest, he was an inarguably complicated man: Despite his boundless faith in the glory of God, he was devoted to self-mutilation to greater experience the suffering of Christ. He waited only two weeks to baptize Native Americans, and believed thereafter that they would be faithful Christians, having fully comprehended the ritual they had agreed to undertake. If they later fled, they were hunted down and brought back to the mission.

These complexities are explored in depth in a 2011 cover story I wrote for the Weekly, in which I delve into the many contradicting facets of a man who seems to have meant well, but whose legacy often created suffering and even death. 

Serra was a man who not only believed God, but who also believed in other supernatural powers like "bilocation," which helped inform his perceived divine blessing on his path to spread Christianity. 

Serra's canonization is sure to boost traffic to the Carmel Mission, where his remains are interred, and will no doubt inspire continued debate about his legacy.