Posted on 05/12/2014 6:00:39 PM PDT by narses
Cambridge, Mass., May 12, 2014 / 06:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A satanic black mass re-enactment being planned by a student group at Harvard University has been ‘postponed indefinitely’ and will not take place May 12.
The news was announced by the school’s newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, just over an hour before the event was scheduled to occur May 12.
Originally, the black mass re-enactment was to take place on campus, at a pub in the basement of Memorial Hall. The Harvard Crimson reported late on the afternoon of May 12 that the event had voluntarily been moved to The Middle East nightclub, a short distance from campus. However, shortly afterward, the general manager of the nightclub told the publication that negotiations had fallen through and the event would not be hosted there.
Subsequently, in a breaking news update at 7:45 p.m. Eastern time, the publication reported that the black mass “has been postponed indefinitely and will not take place tonight, according to (a) Satanic Temple spokesperson.”
Connected to witchcraft and demonic worship, a black mass is a sacrilegious ceremony structured as a parody of the Catholic Mass. Invoking Satan, the ritual is centered around the desecration of the Eucharist, which is generally done by stealing a consecrated host from a Catholic church and using it in a profane sexual ritual, or defecating and urinating on it.
A spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, which is staging the event, initially told media outlets that a consecrated host would be used, although the temple and the Cultural Studies Club both later denied this, insisting that only a plain piece of bread would be used.
The plans for the black mass had drawn strong opposition from the Archdiocese of Boston, along with many students, alumni and members of the broader Catholic community.
Harvard senior Aurora Griffin told CNA that she presented university president Drew Faust with petitions against the event that had garnered more than 60,000 signatures.
In her cover letter, Griffin explained that the event does not promote an appreciation for cultural understanding, but instead ”promotes contempt for the Catholic faith,” adding that “supporters of genuine tolerance and civility are rightly offended and outraged that Harvard has permitted such an event.”
Dr. Faust had released a statement May 12 condemning the event as “flagrantly disrespectful and inflammatory,” and the club’s decision to hold it as “abhorrent.” However, she stated that the ceremony would be allowed to continue due to the university’s “commitment to free expression.”
Faust had said that as a sign of respect, she would attend a Eucharistic Holy Hour being held by the Catholic community at Harvard in response to the black mass.
Jim McGlone, a junior at Harvard, told CNA while he was “glad” to see the university president use “the strongest language possible” to condemn the event, he disagreed that all speech and expression should be protected in a university setting, given the fundamentally offensive nature of the event.
“It’s too much of a desecration of our Lord and a mockery and parody of our Faith,” he said, to be “an attempt at dialogue – it’s really just an obscenity.”
Rather than merely offering a safe haven for all kinds of offensive speech, he continued, the purpose of free speech is “getting at the truth through discourse,” among people who may have disagreements.
Freshman Bella Gomez told CNA that rather than using freedom of speech and religion to make Harvard a “safer welcoming community for all,” Catholic students “are being solely victimized by it.”
She said she felt “uncomfortable” at the idea of entering campus facilities that had been used for a satanic ritual, indicating that the space would “no longer feel comfortable or safe” for her.
The Cultural Studies Club had defended the black mass re-enactment as educational and dismissed critics as demonstrating a close-minded “paranoia.” The group had told CNA that those offended by the event hold outdated views “based on intolerance and ignorance,” which are “arrogant and egocentric.”
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What is WRONG with this nation? We are so, so lost.
May God revive us or judge us...bring us to repentance.
How SICK we have become as a nation.
If you truely reenact a Satanic mass, then that is
what you have. No, sort of about it.
Libs retreating. Haven’t seen that in a while.
Why oh why cant these people ever report the truth? not even the Catholics would post the actual truth. A genuine Black Mass involves the ritual killing of a baby./child/virgin/innocent.
The thing they advertized is just the feel good PR version to avoid the reality tying actual practicing Satanism to human sacrifice. It has a 2000 year history for anyone that cares to look.
Someone reminded me that in the East it is already May 13th.
Drudge reports the desecration will be held at the Satanic Temple, which sounds apart from this so called Harvard study group, but the Temple probably does this as often as possible, to no one’s great surprise.
Why’s it have to be black mass, can’t it be hispanic mass?
Stupid spoiled idiots think they are doing something new.
In 2014, we have a woman who taped her own abortion and put it on YouTube, and planned Satanic rituals at Harvard.
I hope the sacrilegious black mass is cancelled for good.
In Obamaland, Islam and Satanism are now protected and promoted religions while Christians are persecuted.
Will Harvard, in his commitment for freedom of expression, allow a ceremony centered around the desecration of the Koran, using it in a profane sexual ritual, or defecating and urinating on it?
Would Obama and Holder allow the desecration of the Koran with impunity as they are allowing the desecration of the most sacrosanct act of the Catholic Church? Will Obama put in jail those involved in the black mass as he put the Coptic Christian who dare to criticize Islam in a youtube for the Muslim persecution of Christians?
amen....
I just saw this on Drudge.
Glory be to God. Good news for a change!
Praise be to the Archangel Michael. To the Archbishop of Boston, the Catholics at Harvard, and all those others who spoke out against this demonic event.
Wonder if this is meant to bring Antichrist into the world.
“Why oh why cant these people ever report the truth? not even the Catholics would post the actual truth. A genuine Black Mass involves the ritual killing of a baby./child/virgin/innocent.”
Okay, so you’re mad because it was a mockery of a mockery of the Mass rather than a genuine mockery of the Mass? Seriously? Would you feel better if they really did sacrifice a baby?
He’s already here...
“Satanic Temple”
Seems oxymoronic.
While that may be true, dear Norm, to desecrate the consecrated host of our Lord is black indeed for the Catholic.
But, you’re right, I didn’t know that about the actual Black Mass. I do know I bring my pets in at Halloween, certainly.
The growth of satanic cults has given cause over the past two or three years, for Rome to increase the training for more priest exorcists. It is increasingly dark and eerie out there, I’m afraid. Rita
For the record, here are Harvard's commencement speakers since the turn of the millenium:
2001 - Robert Rubin
2002 - Daniel Patrick Moynihan
2003 - Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico
2004 - Kofi Annan
2005 - John Lithgow
2006 - Jim Lehrer
2007 - Bill Gates
2008 - J.K. Rowling
2009 - Steven Chu
2010 - David Souter
2011 - Ellen Sirleaf, President of Liberia
2012 - Fareed Zakaria, CNN
2013 - Oprah Winfrey
2014 - Michael Bloomberg
"commitment to free expression", indeed.
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