Dive Brief:
- A Harvard University independent student club canceled its re-enactment of a “black mass” satanic ritual on campus Monday night amid withering criticism.
- An off-campus, scaled-down version of the event was held without the sponsorship of the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club, performed at a Harvard Square location by members of the Satanic Temple of New York, the Boston Globe reported.
- Nearly 60,000 students, alumni, and faculty members had signed a petition against holding the black mass on campus.
Dive Insight:
In response to the satanic ritual plans, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston held a Eucharistic procession followed by a holy hour attended by more than 1,500 people at a Harvard Square church on Monday evening. The Globe story raises doubts about whether the Satanic Temple actually pulled off the black mass. An employee of the Harvard Square venue “who would only identify himself as Fred” told the newspaper that temple members were drinking at the bar, but he did not believe they were performing any rituals.Harvard President Drew Faust had criticized the student group’s sponsorship of the black mass, but defended its right to free speech.
