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Faustian bargain: Black mass is on

The Globe reports Harvard President Drew Faust will let the extension school host a black mass tonight despite protests from Cardinal Sean O'Malley.

UPDATE: The Crimson reports the club bringing the publicity-seeking New Yorkers up here for the demon-stration decided late Monday to move the event off campus. Where, however, is unknown. They originally said the Middle East, but the Middle East says nope, not here, bub.

UPDATE UPDATE: The Globe reports they called the whole thing off.

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Comments

Did you really just miss a golden opportunity to use the term "Faustian bargain?"

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Arrgh, how the hell did I miss that? I guess I was in limbo because I was so fixated on trying to get "Dr." in the headline, which I ultimately rejected because it was "Dr. Faustus," not "Dr. Faust." So thanks!

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Congrats to Cardinal O'Malley for ensuring this non-event got infinitely more press than it otherwise would have if he had ignored it just like everyone else.

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It's what the Church does best. Protecting your right to practice their religion.

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But when it comes to the Catholic faith, attacks are just fine. And Irish Catholics... They get the most digs.

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Oh, really? Please present us with the evidence you have proving this so.

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How about the enlightened comment below labeling all Catholics as pedophiles?

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A comment that correctly labels the Catholic Church as an establishment that enabled and shielded pedophiles is entirely different from one that "labels Catholics as pedophiles."

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All Catholics, regardless of politics or even social beliefs, share in the Mass as a common experience. "Non-practicing" or "lapsed" Catholics, were you to ask what they mean by that, would say that they don't go to Mass, showing the centrality of the practice. What would mocking this be?

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Yawn.

Sorry, but the Catholic Church does not own Massachusetts anymore. Losing special privileges to control government and university affairs is not bigotry or discrimination - that is equality.

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Are you really claiming that at some point in Massachusetts history the Roman Catholic Church had some kind of control over Harvard University? Did you write that seriously or sarcastically?

But sure, Catholics never had to deal with bigotry or discrimination in Massachusetts.

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Conveniently ignore the undue influence of the church on government and civic life in Massachusetts in the 20th century, why don't you.

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I specifically commented on your claim that somehow the Archbishop of Boston controlled Harvard University. Or any non-Catholic university.

I would also claim that the Watch and Ward Society , the force behind "banned in Boston" had no connection to the Catholic Church any more than it was connected to any other branch of Christianity in the Commonwealth. But I'll see you that and raise you the Colonial Era Blue Laws. There was a fairly conservative brand of Christianity in Boston going back to, oh, 1630, and religious leaders were enforcing it long before Cheverus took up his role of Bishop of Boston.

That said, yes, when there were a lot of practicing Catholics, in the mid twentieth Century, Cardinal Cushing did exert a lot of moral authority over the goings on in Massachusetts. It lessened under Medeiros, and under Law, well, no comment.

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The Archdiocese of Boston had pretty near absolute authority over the secular government for much of the 20gth century.

Here's a place to start if you want to study it: http://www.newoxfordreview.org/reviews.jsp?did=1108-flaherty

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How many Presidents of Harvard were appointed by the Bishop or Archbishop of Boston?

By the way, if you think the authority of government was absolute, you never studied theocracies or bishops in medieval Europe.

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this is the extension school we are talking about here... what's the big deal? maybe if it was the college or one of the grad schools but the extension school is just another anna maria or lesley in my eyes.. if they want to pay the 50k, let them do whatever the hell they want.

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around $40K (tuition only, BTW ) to get a BA from the Extension and tack on another $20K if you want to go for a Master Degree. While obviously not as expensive as the day school, I fail to get your point.

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and another 10k-15k a year for housing (50-55k total, BTW)... I'm just sick and tired of running into kids around the city who say they go to Harvard college when they really DO NOT. my point is that there is a big difference between the harvard everyone knows about and the extension school. Dr F shouldn't have to deal with their shenanigans..

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So does that mean that you don't have a problem with Drew Faust having to field calls from angry social conservatives when Harvard College students do something they find objectionable, like, say, getting official recognition for a bondage sex discussion club? http://www.billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=3274

I ended up choosing not to go to my graduation ceremony when I got my degree from the extension school. I never mention where I went to school unless someone asks me a direct question. You've all made me feel like a poseur, an interloper, and a fraud.

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I dare say, next thing those Extension Interlopers will be demanding grade inflation and legacy privileges, just like the REAL Harvard students.

Lovey, OH LOVEY it's almost as bad as those damned Elis winning the big game!

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No point in belittling anybody's school. Your quip has nothing to do with this event.

As for Extension in particular, it's still freaking Harvard. You're not going to graduate if you can't cut it.

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And she also plans to attend the Holy Hour at St. Paul's...I somehow think she won't be receiving a very warm reception.

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As a university president of a now secular institution, her job description does not require her to place the concerns of Catholic Cardinals above the religious freedom of other students.

I would dare to say that she is actually required to do quite the opposite.

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Letting the stupid farce take place is the freedom of speech (let's be honest, it's speech, not religion,) while condemning it and attending a protest meeting is being attuned to the feelings of the overall community.

She might not be required to do it, but unless she wants to be painted as tone-deaf as her predecessor, she will do it.

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Obviously Cardinal O'Malley thinks he does. I guess you do too?

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First, I have an issue with a religious movement based on opposition to another religion. Second, following on from the first, a religious ceremony aimed at mocking another religion cannot really be deemed a religious ceremony.

Again, the belief and following of Satan, okay, sure. Having some kind of show mocking Catholicism, that's more free speech than anything else.

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FYI: Drew Faust is a woman.

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Anon the Catholic isn't used to seeing women in power.

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I don't see what the big deal is as long as the Devil Worshipers make sure they don't molest any kids and conspire to cover it up or anything like that.

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It's a sad state of affairs when a Cardinal can't simply pick up the phone and have something like this squashed.

The bigger question will the newly sainted John Paul II be able to intercede? Will he have the same super-powers as non-fast tracked Saints?

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for the most part. However, I don't see the point of 'sticking it to them' by doing this childish and very offensive black mass. It's troll-like.

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The Crimson reports it's been moved off campus:

The Harvard Extension School Cultural Studies Club said it will 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 emphasized 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. ...

... "While it is unfortunate that many people took personal offense at rituals for which they have little or no understanding of their context, what we find most disturbing have been the demands that the rituals and beliefs of marginalized members of society be silenced,” the Club wrote in the emailed statement. “It is gravely upsetting to us that some people feel vindicated on the basis that they have disingenuously mischaracterized our invited guests as being part of a hate group.”

The article originally said the new venue is The Middle East, but the club's Twitter feed is retweeting news sources saying it's not taking place there.

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Pedophiles 1, Satanists 0

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While they have a sense of humor and the sophistication one might expect from survivors of civil war in Beirut, they wouldn't want some stinker like this cluttering up their place.

They were willing to put up with G G Allin when Billy foisted him on them but they are always anxious to avoid antagonizing people.

And their various relatives would be appalled.The Maronite carrot chopping grandma unit hated the old punk rock crowd. They'd be spinning in their peaceful rest over this sorta thing.

I always thought satan thumpers were as ridiculous as the rest of the desert sky god crowd only strawberry.

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.. through some sort of online James Joycerizer before posting? ;~}

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Joyce would be a bit more impossible.

"He Larved ond he larved ondt he merde such a nauces,
The Gracehoper feared he would mixplace his fauces.

I forgive you grondt ondt, said the Gracehoper weeping,
For the sukes of the sakes your are safe in whose keeping..."

Finnegans Wake.

I worked for Nabil for two years. I used to meet the carrot chopping grandmas daily as they chatted among themselves in Arabic about the world going to hell in a hand basket.

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(Joycerizer with the Ulysses filter rather than the FW one?)

Taken a page at a time -- FW is fascinating and often funny. But I can't imagine reading this all the way through.

The world has _always_ been going to hell in a hand basket. ;~}

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This seems to be basically a form of hipster performance art, which would fit that venue well.

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as in Beelzebub?

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Why is this even a thing? And is a so-called "black mass" such a rarity that it causes this uproar? Don't these things go on on a regular basis somewhere or other?, Or do they just arise every 40 years or so, causing people who have nothing else to do to get into a snit? Another non-issue.

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