President Faust Speaks: Harvard "Black Mass" Controversy Update

President Faust of Harvard

As of this writing the so called "Black Mass" is still set to be held on the Harvard campus, with a Eucharistic Procession and Holy Hour to be held at St. Paul's Church in Cambridge as a sort of spiritual counter protest.

The President of Harvard, Drew Faust, issued a statement today that basically said, yes, this is wrong and not really what Harvard is all about, but we will leave the decision as to whether the atrocity will go on or not in the hands of the organizers. She made this decision in light of the "University's commitment to free expression, including expression that may deeply offend us." She went on to write that...

"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."

I do not doubt Dr. Faust's sincerity, and am actually touched by her gesture of solidarity. But this does bring up other questions in my mind, not simply about Harvard, but about American academia in general, and how committed it really is to open discourse and debate; the reason she said the University wouldn't stand in the way of the "Black Mass" from being staged.  Unfortunately my schedule doesn't allow me to elaborate at this moment. Time to go hear confessions before celebrating the Holy Mass.

More to come...