However, Bishop Robert Barron, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is not impressed by the election outcome.

In the New York Post, Barron said, "What does bother me is the complete and abject surrender on the part of the presumably religious leaders at Harvard who chose this man. If a professed atheist counts as a chaplain — which is to say, a leader of religious services in a chapel — then "religion" has quite obviously come to mean nothing at all.

"I'm sure Epstein is a nice fellow. I have nothing against him.

"But I do want to urge his presumably religious colleagues at Harvard who elected him: Show a little self-respect.

"Being a chaplain has something to do with the worship of God — and you shouldn't be ashamed to say it.

"All of this has been a long time coming.

"The elite distortion of religion to the level of chatting amicably about improving one's moral life and inner feelings.

"Immanuel Kant famously opined that authentic religion had nothing finally to do with doctrines, dogmas, prayer and liturgy. Rather, faith was all about the cultivation of morality.

"The popular version of Kant's teaching is on display today whenever someone says, "You know, it doesn't finally matter what we believe, as long as we are nice people.

"As a Catholic churchman, I believe in an all-powerful, omniscient and loving God, who brought the entire universe into existence from nothing and who now sustains it and draws it to himself.

"This God chose the people of Israel, whom he gifted with divine law, covenant, prophecy and temple. In the fullness of time, he became incarnate in a first-century Jew called Jesus of Nazareth, who died on a Roman cross, rose from the dead and now invites all people to come under his lordship.

"Say what you want about all of that. Affirm it, deny it, argue about it. Tell me I'm crazy for believing any of it. But by God, it's a religion. Of course, different religions make varying doctrinal claims, but at the very least, they affirm the existence of God," Barron wrote.

In a statement, the Harvard Catholic Center said, "We are happy to restate our commitment to proclaim here at Harvard and beyond that Jesus Christ is Lord, most fully revealed in the Catholic Church."

The Harvard Christian Alumni Society also published a statement saying, "This was not a top-down appointment but a bottom-up vote choosing one rotating representative from a group of peers," the group stated.

"Previously, this role has been filled by chaplains of various backgrounds including Christians and Muslims."

Quesada said that the chaplain president term lasts for one year. But the role can be extended by a year for courtesy purposes. Catholic Chaplains have held the role as president in the past, he noted.

Greg Epstein, 44, who identifies as a "humanist rabbi" and described as a "devout atheist", has been chosen as president of chaplains for the religious community at the Ivy League college.

The various Harvard chaplains, a professional community representing many of the world's religious traditions, unanimously elected Epstein to represent them.

Epstein told The New York Times, "There is a rising group of people who no longer identify with any religious tradition. But they still experience a real need for conversation and support around what it means to be a good human and live an ethical life."

Epstein heads the school's humanist chaplaincy, which represents humanists, agnostics, and atheists. The Times reported his work as "reflecting a broader trend of young people across the United States who increasingly identify as spiritual but religiously nonaffiliated."

"His role is not as the chief chaplain," said Nico Quesada, the Harvard Catholic Center marketing director. "It is actually as the president of the Harvard Chaplains."

Quesada told CNA that Epstein's role as president of the university's chaplains will be purely administrative.

Sources

New York Post

Catholic News Agency

The Washington Post

CathNews NZ

The aim was to offer insight into why the Church teaches the way it does when it comes to human sexuality.

This is the first time the CSA has held the event.

"After Harvard Sex Week, we kind of did a few events of our own just to get people talking, to present the Catholic view of sexuality," says Jack Clark, vice president of intellectual development for the Catholic Student Association.

Speakers included Janet Smith who spoke about "Why sex is complicated."

She provided an overview of the Catholic teaching on sexuality and how it differs from a do-what-you-want attitude.

"Dr. Smith's talk was really emphasising the role of sex and how it can't be separated from real emotional intimacy, from procreation, from the family, and obviously, from a Catholic perspective, we look at men and women as complementary," Clark says.

Fr Patrick Fiorillo, Harvard's undergraduate chaplain, discussed Humanae Vitae, while married couple Steve and Helene Bowler spoke about their struggle and eventual success in living out the Church's teaching on contraception.

Lectures drew between 30 and 60 people. "I don't think there is a plan to set this up as an annual thing, but we certainly want to build on the moment that we created," Clark says.

"I think people are talking about Catholic views on sexuality more than they have been… I am excited to see where that energy goes, whether it is reading groups or discussions or more talks."

Harvard Sex Week's website says it offers an annual week of events ranging from interactive workshops to lectures, to facilitated discussions, all focusing on issues of sex, sexual health, sexuality, gender, identity, relationships, intimacy and more.

Sex Week intends both to educate and advocate, providing a platform for self-exploration and community dialogue.

Source

• Aletiea
• Image: Catholic News Agency

After protests that the event was offensive to Catholics, the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club initially decided to move the event off campus.

But another venue could not be found, so the club dropped its sponsorship of the re-enactment.

It was to have been performed by members of the New York-based Satanic Temple.

The Boston Globe reported that temple spokesman Lucien Greaves saying a black mass was performed later at a nearby bar, but this was not verified.

A consecrated host was not used, reportedly.

Greaves said he understood re-enactment organisers received lot of vitriolic hate mail.

The initial plan to hold a black mass on the Harvard campus prompted widespread outrage.

The Archdiocese of Boston held a eucharistic procession and a holy hour at a church near Harvard at the same time the event was originally scheduled.

More than 1500 people packed the Catholic church.

Among them was Harvard president Drew Faust, who earlier had decried the student sponsorship of the planned re-enactment as "abhorrent", but also defended students' right to free speech.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston had called the planned black mass "repugnant".

"There's a great fascination with evil in the world, but you know, it doesn't lead to anything good," Cardinal O'Malley told the Boston Globe.

Nearly 60,000 students, alumni, and faculty members signed a petition against holding the black mass on campus, according to a statement released by Harvard Rhodes scholar and Catholic Aurora Griffin.

The Harvard Extension club has continuously urged critics to widen their understanding of satanic worship.

On May 9, an unidentified spokesperson said the re-enactment was meant to be educational, not offensive.

The spokesperson told the Boston Globe that many satanists are animal rights activists, vegetarians, and artists with a strong sense of community.

Sources

• Boston Globe
• The Harvard Crimson
• Time
• Harvard University
• Image: Harvesting the Fruit

The re-enactment was to be at a pub on the Harvard campus on May 12 (US time).

Archdiocesan officials are organising Eucharistic adoration at a nearby church at the same hour, in response.

The Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club said the re-enactment they were planning is intended as an educational activity, as part of a student-led series exploring different cultures.

A black mass is an often obscene mockery by satanic cults of the Mass celebrated in the Catholic Church.

The ritual, for example, might substitute the bare back of a woman for an altar.

To complete the desecration, the black mass generally uses a consecrated host, which Catholics believe is the Body of Christ.

The Harvard club said an ordinary piece of bread would be used, not a consecrated host.

"Our purpose is not to denigrate any religion or faith, which would be repugnant to our educational purposes . . . ," the club stated.

But this did not mollify the Boston archdiocese.

It expressed "deep sadness and strong opposition" to the planned ritual.

"In a recent statement, Pope Francis warned of the danger of being naive about or underestimating the power of Satan, whose evil is too often tragically in our midst," an archdiocese statement noted.

"We call upon all believers and people of good will to join us in prayer for those who are involved in this event, that they may come to appreciate the gravity of their actions and in asking Harvard to dissociate itself from this activity," the statement continued.

Harvard Catholic chaplain Fr Michael Drea called the planned black mass "a matter of hatred".

"It's an affront to our Catholic sensibilities," he said.

While stopping short of endorsing the event, the Harvard Extension School said that it supported "the rights of our students and faculty to speak and assemble freely".

The black mass re-enactment will be performed by the members of New York-based Satanic Temple, while a narrator provides commentary and historical context.

Sources

• Boston Globe
• Fox News
• Catholic Culture
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: New York Daily News

Outsiders could be forgiven for believing this service, with its homilies, its passing of the plate, its uplifting songs, belongs in a church.

If so, it's an atheist church without God — the brainchild of Harvard University's Humanist chaplain.

Continue reading

This is a particularly uplifting story of achievement against the odds, one we need so as to bolster up our determination to build a viable future for our planet. ‘All is connected…'

Dan Bidois left school at 15, and worked in a supermarket before studying for two degrees at Auckland University. At Harvard he studied economic and financial public policy, and worked with the NZ Education Ministry on lowering the cost of early childhood education and increasing participation rates for Maori and Pasifica children.

Natalie Coates followed a more traditional path, studying at Otago University before going on to study human rights and social justice law at Harvard.

It seems these two young people want to make the world a better place, using their talents to change outcomes for the better for their communities. They seized the opportunities offered to them, rather than giving up, or blindly treading outworn paths.

We need that hope for the future. I believe that young people are taking up the challenge. Witness the young who went to Rio plus 20 to ask for a future for humankind. Sadly, the adults - politicians, bureaucrats, entrenched in the old ways of doing business, were not equal to the challenge. No matter that those ways no longer work and disaster is looming closer every hour. Are they frightened of grasping the nettle? Or do they have no vision?

Here are some more optimistic observations of the Rio conference by Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland, currently a member of the Elders and the Club of Madrid, and an Honorary President of Oxfam International.

‘The Rio declaration does set some important processes in train, like developing Sustainable Development Goals, which address all three dimensions of sustainable development: environmental, social and economic ... Processes have also been established to strengthen environmental governance at the international level and to make progress on financing for sustainable development. These should be action oriented, aspirational and measurable, so that they complement the Millennium Development Goals.'

Likewise, we must thank God that the Rio Principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were reaffirmed, in face of some opposition. It is now up to the ordinary people of the world - us - to take the initiative in building a more sustainable future, making use of the processes agreed to at Rio. It is grassroots stuff and we need to keep pressure on our elected representatives - employed by us - to follow our lead now, as we in turn follow youth's example with courage and trust in our Compassionate Creator. Tricia Kane.