Masses, Black and White

Apparently, there is a ‘Black Mass’ scheduled to be held tomorrow in Ottawa, and Archbishop Prendergast has asked his priests to join the laity in praying outside the heavy-metal bar, appropriately, or rather inappropriately, called ‘The Koven’. We should remember that every sacrilegious Mass – one in which Communion is confected or received in a state of mortal sin – is a ‘black’ Mass for that person, in some sense.

Of course, an overtly blasphemous Mass is a different thing, but I wonder about this. Do they have a Catholic Host? We must presume there is no apostate priest to say said ‘Mass’. Or perhaps the patrons of The Koven are just going through the motions of a Mass, like wayward – and far less pious – children? One way or the other, we should pray, for this and for all the other moral outrages in this once Christian nation. At the very least, we may take some consolation that the battle between good and evil is entering more into the open arena – so we know whom we are waging war.