Posted on 05/12/2014 7:57:21 PM PDT by NYer
UPDATED: May 12, 2014, at 8:15 p.m.
The Harvard Extension School Cultural Studies Club has dropped its sponsorship of a re-enactment of a Satanic “black mass” ritual, which was scheduled to occur Monday evening at Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub. A spokesperson for the Satanic Temple, which was facilitating the black mass, said that the organization no longer plans to hold a black mass this evening.
The Harvard Extension School Cultural Studies Club originally said that it planned to relocate its reenactment of a Satanic black mass ritual, scheduled for Monday night, to an off-campus site, citing in an email that “misinterpretations about the nature of the event were harming perceptions about Harvard and adversely impacting the student community.”
The club wrote in its email around 5 p.m. that they planned for the event to be held at The Middle East nightclub in Central Square at 9 p.m. But Clay S. Fernald, the general manager of The Middle East, said Monday evening that the nightclub will not host the event, and that negotiations with the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club had fallen through.
Fernald declined to comment on why negotiations had ended.
Around 7 p.m., the Cultural Studies Club sent an email saying that they had been unable to find another location and would no longer sponsor the black mass.
The club emphasized in the 5 p.m. email that Harvard had not asked them to move the event from its previous location, the Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub in the basement of Memorial Hall, and commended the University for affirming its members’ rights to free speech and assembly.
“Harvard always demonstrated that it understood its responsibility to defend protected student speech. That was always made clear to us,” the club wrote in a second email.
In response to the event’s relocation, Terrence Donilon, secretary of communications for the Archdiocese of Boston, said that the Catholic Church still condemns any re-enactment of the Satanic ritual, regardless of setting.
“Whether they have it at Harvard or at some other location, this is repugnant. No other community would stand u p for this,” he said. “We recognize that we’re a country that allows free speech, but we’re also a country that shares in the common good. There’s nothing good that comes out of desecrating the central element of the Catholic Church, which is the Eucharist.”
We should not fool ourselves, this struggle is not by any means over. Satans group is withdrawing for now to review and regroup. This is the most direct attention they have ever had in the American Secular world, except for the Halloween season. Don’t be surprised if someone floats the concept of a reality show based on their twisted dangerous beliefs.
I'm another --probably more Deist than true Agnostic -- who remembers "Onward Christian Soldiers!" This is a battle of good over evil, positive over negative, light vs. darkness, Yin vs. Yang.
"At the sign of triumph Satan's host doth flee;
on then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.
Still lots of folks trying to be good Catholics, still plenty of folks in the Catholic Student Association, still lots of folks at Mass at St. Paul's. The 11 am Mass is still celebrated beautifully. The Knights of Columbus council is doing well. In recent years, the school has averaged about one vocation to the priesthood or religious life per year.
As well, my son and his Catholic friends find many open-minded young people, who often start out irreligious and quite liberal, paying attention to the witness of their lives. There are also plenty of closed-minded doctrinaire liberals who couldn't find their rear end with both hands, but many of my son's non-Catholic friends rallied around the Catholic community this past week.
It is discouraging when folks herein say “Harvard is this” terrible thing, or “Harvard is that” terrible thing. Most folks don't have any idea what they're talking about. This is exams week. Yet, over a thousand folks crammed into St. Paul's. Over 60,000 - that's SIXTY THOUSAND students, faculty, and alumni signed the on-line petition denouncing the night schoolers and their scheme.
This week, Harvard is overwhelmingly pro-Catholic.
sitetest
Bttt
They may be fed the entrails of baboons in the Hong Kong restaurant.
Nobody would have bothered the “Satanic Temple” had it not tried a stunt of this kind.
It got Catholics boiling mad, but other Christians were angry too and it was forced away from Harvard. For now.
That said, the politics of what is “for” and “anti” can get mighty precarious. To love the devil is to hate God, and in the end it is to get yourself damned, but many moderns aren’t taking sides in the fight. If the Satanists had put on an explicit “devil love fest” they might not have gotten any opposition to speak of.
Thank you. I think that’s about the best news I’ve heard since this admin started!
I’d like to ask when any official arm of the university sponsored any Christian service.
long long ago
Sooner or later someone will find out and publish the names of the people involved in this. The backlash will be interesting.
bump
America is getting fed up with all of this “in your face America” nonsense from the commie libs.
Several articles have mentioned that this same club is planning to host a Shinto tea ceremony, an exhibit about Shakers, and a lecture on Buddhist meditation.
Clearly, all of those are respectful of the religions mentioned, except the Black Mass, which is designed to make fun of Catholics and their faith.
What we’re left with is people who are stuck in the “spoiled child” phase of development when it comes to Catholicism. “I hate you I hate you I hate you!” as petulant children are wont to say.
The only thing left is to pray that these people grow up and grow out of their irrational hatred. Prayer can change hearts like nothing else.
And why does the Cultural Club fail to mention they are sponsored by the New York Satanic Temple? Not just them, though, for very few articles include the information that this was co-sponsored by the NY Cultural Club.
I’m sure they would have failed to mention it if the Catholic Church had co-sponsored a Koran burning.
Thanks be to God!
It is and blowback is coming.
Beautiful church!
Big difference is that, unlike the other faiths, anything involving devil worship could end up resulting in either demonic oppression or worse demonic possession.
Must be an old historic church.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.