A Question About Meatless Fridays

[Donald45]

In response to my observation that the Friday fast is not a formal dogma of the Church, a Protestant poster replied with this:Thousands upon thousands of otherwise (presumably) faithful RC’s did just that over the years [considered eating meat on Friday a mortal sin] and were condemned by your church. She claimed that this was a ‘salvific’ issue…they committed ‘mortal sin’ by doing so…the removal of the salvific grace that ‘might’ grant salvation.

Then, with the stroke of a pen, eating meat on Friday is NO LONGER a mortal sin…so EVERYONE who’s done it since DOES NOT COMMIT MORTAL SIN. Meanwhile, presumably, all those who happened to die in that state in the past (perhaps they choked on the hotdog, or the beer they washed it down with) are STILL roasting in hell.

Can you explain THAT? Given that God is the ‘same, yesterday, today, forever’, and ‘there is no shadow of turning with Him’…etc?
How might a Catholic respond to these claims? It’s been my understanding that eating meat on Friday has never been considered a mortal sin. Am I wrong on this point?

Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

 

[DavidFilmer]

It’s been my understanding that eating meat on Friday has never been considered a mortal sin. Am I wrong on this point?

It’s not about eating meat, but about keeping promises (or lying).

If I promise to do (or not to do) something, and I willfully and blatantly break my promise, I could be guilty of mortal sin (remember, we never know for sure if any particular sin is mortal, so we always say “could be” mortal). Disregarding a promise is essentially lying.

If I promise to feed your dog while you’re on vacation, and willfully ignore my promise, and your dog dies, then I could be guilty of mortal sin. The source of my guilt has nothing to do with feeding dogs (I have no moral obligation to feed your dog unless I promise to do so). The promise, not the feeding, is the source of the guilt.

As Catholics, we promise to uphold the precepts of the Church - whatever those may be. The Church may change those precepts anytime She likes. If the Church drops a precept, we are no longer obligated to adhere to it - just as you could decide to board your dog at a kennel and tell me, “never mind about feeding my dog” thereby relieving me of my obligation to keep my promise.

 

[VociMike]

Christ eliminated a great many grave “Jewish sins”, and made other allowed acts into grave sins. So I guess we can charge him with the same error, eh?

The core of the matter is that telling Christ’s Church to go pound salt is telling Christ to go pound salt. It really is that simple.

 

[thistle]

In response to my observation that the Friday fast is not a formal dogma of the Church, a Protestant poster replied with this:Thousands upon thousands of otherwise (presumably) faithful RC’s did just that over the years [considered eating meat on Friday a mortal sin] and were condemned by your church. She claimed that this was a ‘salvific’ issue…they committed ‘mortal sin’ by doing so…the removal of the salvific grace that ‘might’ grant salvation.

Then, with the stroke of a pen, eating meat on Friday is NO LONGER a mortal sin…so EVERYONE who’s done it since DOES NOT COMMIT MORTAL SIN. Meanwhile, presumably, all those who happened to die in that state in the past (perhaps they choked on the hotdog, or the beer they washed it down with) are STILL roasting in hell.

Can you explain THAT? Given that God is the ‘same, yesterday, today, forever’, and ‘there is no shadow of turning with Him’…etc?
How might a Catholic respond to these claims? It’s been my understanding that eating meat on Friday has never been considered a mortal sin. Am I wrong on this point?

Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

Not eating meat on Fridays was a discipline and not a doctrine. While we also have to obey disciplines they can be changed by the Church while doctrines cannot.

 

[wardrandolph]

And this person is an authority on Catholic Dogma because?Seriously though pray for this person.Share the faith and the Love of Jesus with them.