Pope Francis In California

Pope Francis today formally gave his blessing to the canonisation of Junipero Serra, an 18th-century missionary credited with evangelising California at a high price for native Americans.

The late Pope Paul VI, who led the Roman Catholic Church during one of its most turbulent modern periods and enshrined its opposition to contraception, will move a step closer to sainthood in October, the Vatican said on Saturday.

Pope Francis today formally gave his blessing to the canonisation of Junipero Serra, an 18th-century missionary credited with evangelising California at a high price for native Americans.

The late Pope Paul VI, who led the Roman Catholic Church during one of its most turbulent modern periods and enshrined its opposition to contraception, will move a step closer to sainthood in October, the Vatican said on Saturday.