Are Catholics in the U.S. still required to observe abstinence or another penance on Fridays outside Lent, under pain of sin?
The 1966 USCCB document seems to say, read one way (“even though we hereby terminate the traditional law of abstinence binding under pain of sin, as the sole prescribed means of observing Friday”) seems to suggest we still have an obligation to observe some penance, under pain of sin, just not necessarily abstinence.
Read another way, it seems to say that while we should observe some penance, and perhaps we have some kind of “obligation” to do so, not doing so is not to the level of “sin.”
usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstinence.cfm
Thanks in advance.
The 1966 USCCB document seems to say, read one way (“even though we hereby terminate the traditional law of abstinence binding under pain of sin, as the sole prescribed means of observing Friday”) seems to suggest we still have an obligation to observe some penance, under pain of sin, just not necessarily abstinence.
Read another way, it seems to say that while we should observe some penance, and perhaps we have some kind of “obligation” to do so, not doing so is not to the level of “sin.”
usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstinence.cfm
Thanks in advance.