There has been an uproar over the last few days about a student group hosting a “reenactment” of a Black Mass at Harvard University. Though the group sponsoring it may not identify itself as satanist but more as atheist, the happening of a Black Mass at Harvard, with or without a consecrated host, is very troubling.
Harvard president Drew Faust issued a statement today. She finds the happening of the Black Mass on campus “abhorrent” and states she will attend a Eucharistic Holy Hour and Benediction at the campus church to reaffirm the university’s respect for the Catholic faith. That’s great, but the Black Mass will still happen. She will not act against it.
Cardinal O’Malley of Boston questioned, “why people would want to do something that is so offensive to so many people in the community, whether they’re Catholic or not, it’s very repugnant.” He continued saying, “there’s a great fascination with evil in the world, but you know, it doesn’t lead to anything good.”
A Black Mass offends everything that is sacred and holy since it mocks what we as Catholics hold most dear, the celebration of the Eucharist. I hope that Harvard defends the voice of opposition and dissent to this Black Mass as it has defended the right of this group to hold it. Below is the statement by President Drew Faust taken from The Anchoress.
UPDATE: Black Mass Relocated Off Campus
“The reenactment of a ‘black mass’ planned by a student group affiliated with the Harvard Extension School challenges us to reconcile the dedication to free expression at the heart of a university with our commitment to foster a community based on civility and mutual understanding. Vigorous and open discussion and debate are essential to the pursuit of knowledge, and we must uphold these values even in the face of controversy. Freedom of expression, as Justice Holmes famously said long ago, protects not only free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought that we hate.
“But even as we permit expression of the widest range of ideas, we must also take responsibility for debating and challenging expression with which we profoundly disagree. The ‘black mass’ had its historical origins as a means of denigrating the Catholic Church; it mocks a deeply sacred event in Catholicism, and is highly offensive to many in the Church and beyond. The decision by a student club to sponsor an enactment of this ritual is abhorrent; it represents a fundamental affront to the values of inclusion, belonging and mutual respect that must define our community. It is deeply regrettable that the organizers of this event, well aware of the offense they are causing so many others, have chosen to proceed with a form of expression that is so flagrantly disrespectful and inflammatory.
“Nevertheless, consistent with the University’s commitment to free expression, including expression that may deeply offend us, the decision to proceed is and will remain theirs. At the same time, we will vigorously protect the right of others to respond—and to address offensive expression with expression of their own.
“I plan to attend a Eucharistic Holy Hour and Benediction at St. Paul’s Church on our campus on Monday evening in order to join others in reaffirming our respect for the Catholic faith at Harvard and to demonstrate that the most powerful response to offensive speech is not censorship, but reasoned discourse and robust dissent.”
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In