Abstinence from meat on all fridays?

[hopeforfaith]

I read somewhere online that catholics are supposed to abstain from meat all fridays. Is it true? Also, today is friday and when I was having dinner, one of the serving spoons was in contact with some beef oil/essence from one dish and then it was moved into the vegetable sauce. I looked at it and there didn’t seem to be any kind of serious contamination. Does using that spoon put some sauce over my vegetable count as eating meat?

 

[DebChris]

Prior to Vatican II, Catholics abstained from meat on all Fridays. This discipline has been relaxed since the council, although many still maintain the discipline.
Eating meat was considered a deliberate act of disobedience to Church authority. If you forgot, and ate that chicken in the refrigerator before remembering it was Friday, it was only considered a venial sin.
Don’t get overly scrupulous about how the utensils may have touched a meat sauce,etc.

 

[smndtupidisaftr]

It’s not about Vatican II. The USCCB got a special dispensation from the Vatican such that those in the US no longer have to abstain most Fridays, but they still must during Lent. That said, you can still do it as a personal devotion and join in solidarity with Catholics around the world if you wish. Personally I think it’s a great habit to pick up.

 

[DJK100]

I read somewhere online that catholics are supposed to abstain from meat all fridays. Is it true? Also, today is friday and when I was having dinner, one of the serving spoons was in contact with some beef oil/essence from one dish and then it was moved into the vegetable sauce. I looked at it and there didn’t seem to be any kind of serious contamination. Does using that spoon put some sauce over my vegetable count as eating meat?

However, even during the nonLenten season if you choose to eat meat on fridays you are still supposed to perform some form of penance.

 

[DebChris]

It’s not about Vatican II. The USCCB got a special dispensation from the Vatican such that those in the US no longer have to abstain most Fridays, but they still must during Lent. That said, you can still do it as a personal devotion and join in solidarity with Catholics around the world if you wish. Personally I think it’s a great habit to pick up.

I don’t remember what year this dispensation was given to those living in the US. As a military dependent, I was exempt when we lived overseas. Currently I work in the Middle East. I was halfway through Lent my first year here, when I learned the Lenten abstinence was Wednesday rather than Friday for this region of the world.
Reading the lives of the Saints, you will find that many did fast and abstain from meat on both Wednesday and Friday.
I agree that it is a good personal devotion.

 

[Corki]

The universal rule is to abstain from meat on all Fridays that are not solemnities. The conferences of bishop are allowed to substitute a different form of abstinence/penance. In some countries, they have chosen a different form of abstinence and in others they have chosen to maintain an abstinence from meat (ie the UK). In the US, the bishops have left it up to the faithful to choose which form of penance or abstinence to apply on Fridays outside of Lent.

Can. 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Can. 1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

Can. 1253 The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.

 

[smndtupidisaftr]

The universal rule is to abstain from meat on all Fridays that are not solemnities.

Forgive my ignorance, but what changes on solemnities? Is it just that the fast is lifted or is it replaced with something?

 

[Corki]

Forgive my ignorance, but what changes on solemnities? Is it just that the fast is lifted or is it replaced with something?

Solemnities have precidence over penitential days. You don’t fast on a feast day. You just skip it as a day of penance.

 

[Ceius]

Can I ask here instead of making a new thread?
This is my first time experiencing Lent seriously and what happens if I ate meat on a Friday?
Should I do anything about it like confessing it or recite a certain prayer?

 

[smndtupidisaftr]

Can I ask here instead of making a new thread?
This is my first time experiencing Lent seriously and what happens if I ate meat on a Friday?
Should I do anything about it like confessing it or recite a certain prayer?

It depends if it was done in full knowledge of the fast or not. If you knew and ate anyway, you should confess it. If it was an accident, it is merely a venial sin. Just say an act of contrition or something (though it never hurts to admit venial sins in the confessional).

 

[Ceius]

It depends if it was done in full knowledge of the fast or not. If you knew and ate anyway, you should confess it. If it was an accident, it is merely a venial sin. Just say an act of contrition or something (though it never hurts to admit venial sins in the confessional).

If it was done in full knowledge, does it count as a mortal sin?

 

[smndtupidisaftr]

Sounds like it to me, but I wouldn’t dare say that I know enough to make that call. Either way, I think you’re better off just going to confession than not. But then again, that applies for everyone.

 

[Transformer]

The universal rule is to abstain from meat on all Fridays that are not solemnities. The conferences of bishop are allowed to substitute a different form of abstinence/penance. In some countries, they have chosen a different form of abstinence and in others they have chosen to maintain an abstinence from meat (ie the UK). In the US, the bishops have left it up to the faithful to choose which form of penance or abstinence to apply on Fridays outside of Lent.

This is correct. Or at least, this is the position of many (most?) faithful Catholics familiar with this issue: in the US you must abstain from meat on all Fridays (that are not solemnities), or you can substitute another penance (as per the allowance of our bishops); failure to do one or the other is grave matter.

For an argument that we are not actually bound under penalty of sin to do any penance on non-Lenten Fridays, see these posts by Catholic Answers apologist Jimmy Akin:

jimmyakin.org/2004/07/since_tomorrow_.html
jimmyakin.com/2004/07/more_on_friday_.html

As others have said, I don’t think this matter has anything to do with Vatican II.

---

As for utensils coming into contact with beef broth and such, I believe the rules are not that strict. You could drink liquids made from flesh meat if you wanted to; that does not count as eating flesh meat. Annoyingly, I cannot find the specific canon to support this, but see, e.g.

americancatholic.org/features/lent/lentrules.aspx

If it was done in full knowledge, does it count as a mortal sin?

Yes, the obligation binds gravely. Keep in mind that it’s generally (universally?) held that even if you’re well aware of the obligation, if you forget about it at the time you’re eating the meat, that is not full knowledge.

 

[arkwright]

It’s not about Vatican II. .

True . It’s about the teaching on fast and abstinence in Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Constitution
“Paenitemini” of February 1966 .

 

[Skeptic92]

I read somewhere online that catholics are supposed to abstain from meat all fridays. Is it true? Also, today is friday and when I was having dinner, one of the serving spoons was in contact with some beef oil/essence from one dish and then it was moved into the vegetable sauce. I looked at it and there didn’t seem to be any kind of serious contamination. Does using that spoon put some sauce over my vegetable count as eating meat?

Is the UK (England and Wales at least, unsure about Scotland, it has it’s own Bishops conference) abstinence from meat is obligated EVERY friday of the year, except solemnities.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

It is a relatively easy discipline to get used to. We continue to have meatless Fridays year round. No meat does not mean you must eat fish. It also doesn’t mean that a bit of meat-based gravy or stock in your veggies means you’ve sinned.

 

[Moore11]

It is a relatively easy discipline to get used to. We continue to have meatless Fridays year round. No meat does not mean you must eat fish. It also doesn’t mean that a bit of meat-based gravy or stock in your veggies means you’ve sinned.

My wife and I started meatless fridays last summer. It is awesome. But one question for those who do this as well. Do you discount the Easter season or keep it going?

 

[Brendan]

It is a relatively easy discipline to get used to. We continue to have meatless Fridays year round. No meat does not mean you must eat fish. It also doesn’t mean that a bit of meat-based gravy or stock in your veggies means you’ve sinned.

Yep, we’ve been doing that for the last few years.

 

[ProVobis]

My wife and I started meatless fridays last summer. It is awesome. But one question for those who do this as well. Do you discount the Easter season or keep it going?

All year round. Ever since I read it in Canon Law.

 

[agapewolf]

It depends if it was done in full knowledge of the fast or not. If you knew and ate anyway, you should confess it. If it was an accident, it is merely a venial sin. Just say an act of contrition or something (though it never hurts to admit venial sins in the confessional).

Accidents are NOT sins.