Are we still required to abstain from meat on friday?

[Timi_Celcer]

And what specifically does the Church teach about friday?

 

[JRKH]

Yes -
However I believe the bishops have the authority to permit us to substitute something else.
That is the case here in the U.S. We may substitute another act of penance if we choose.

Don’t know what the rule is where you are.

Peace
James

 

[tawny]

Yes -
However I believe the bishops have the authority to permit us to substitute something else.
That is the case here in the U.S. We may substitute another act of penance if we choose.

Don’t know what the rule is where you are.

Peace
James

Correct.

 

[Filii_Dei]

The rule in my diocese is that Friday penance is obligatory on all Fridays that are not solemnities, and abstinence from meat is just one of the ways of observing the obligation for penance. Our diocese also explicitly stipulates that abstinence from meat must be accompanied by eating simply to qualify - crab and lobster do not fulfill the obligation. Other options permitted include fasting, abstinence from self-indulgence, prayer or Bible study, and acts of charity. Of course, as mentioned, the rule in your diocese may (and probably does) vary.

 

[Dempsey1919]

The Bishops of England and Wales re-established the Friday abstinence from meat in 2011. I thought I’d share this for the benefit of English and Welsh members.

 

[paperwight66]

The Bishops of England and Wales re-established the Friday abstinence from meat in 2011. I thought I’d share this for the benefit of English and Welsh members.

It also bears repeating that the Bishops made it clear at the time that failure to abstain from meat was not a matter of mortal sin (see the Q & A section following the press release at the time).

Just in case anyone is scrupulous.

 

[GangGreen]

Yes -
However I believe the bishops have the authority to permit us to substitute something else.
That is the case here in the U.S. We may substitute another act of penance if we choose.

Don’t know what the rule is where you are.

Peace
James

This is the answer.

I’d say it’s a good practice to do especially if you’re a meat lover. You can even throw in the traditional Wednesday practice (in addition to Friday) if you’d like.

Of course you can go even further and do no meat and something else additional. It’s all up to you. The minimum is only just that.

I personally always try to abstain (and try to fast from morning to dinner) on Fridays and only eat meat when I have no choice at which point I’ll try to find some other form of penance to substitute.

 

[ajecphotos]

Would it be classed as a sin to eat meat on a friday?

 

[JM3]

Yes -
Peace
James

Correct.

This is the answer.

These are not correct. In the USA, there is no requirement to abstain from meat.

Would it be classed as a sin to eat meat on a friday?

No.

 

[PJM]

=Timi Celcer;11648829]And what specifically does the Church teach about friday?

OFFICIALLY ONLY in LENT

But its a GREAT personal piety offering to our God.

Patrick

 

[JM3]

And what specifically does the Church teach about friday?

vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini_en.html

Therefore, the following is declared and established:

I. 1. By divine law all the faithful are required to do penance.

1. The prescriptions of ecclesiastical law regarding penitence are totally reorganized according to the following norms:

II. 1. The time of Lent preserves its penitential character. The days of penitence to be observed under obligation throughout the Church are all Fridays and Ash Wednesday, that is to say the first days of “Grande Quaresima” (Great Lent), according to the diversity of the rites. Their substantial observance binds gravely.

1. Apart from the faculties referred to in VI and VIII regarding the manner of fulfilling the precept of penitence on such days, abstinence is to be observed on every Friday which does not fall on a day of obligation, while abstinence and fast is to be observed on Ash Wednesday or, according to the various practices of the rites, on the first day of “Grande Quaresima” (Great Lent) and on Good Friday.

VI. 1. In accordance with the conciliar decree Christus Dominus regarding the pastoral office of bishops, number 38,4, it is the task of episcopal conferences to:

A. Transfer for just cause the days of penitence, always taking into account the Lenten season;

B. Substitute abstinence and fast wholly or in part with other forms of penitence and especially works of charity and the exercises of piety.

1. By way of information, episcopal conferences should communicate to the Apostolic See what they have decided on the matter.

 

[JRKH]

Originally Posted by JRKH View Post
Yes -
Peace
James

I actually clarified that in the rest of my post - - I thought - -

Or can you explain further what you mean? What are the requirements? I was under the impression that the Friday obligation remains but it is up to the individual how to implement it.

Thank you.

Peace
James

 

[JM3]

I actually clarified that in the rest of my post - - I thought - -

Or can you explain further what you mean? What are the requirements? I was under the impression that the Friday obligation remains but it is up to the individual how to implement it.

Thank you.

Peace
James

The OP’s question says “Are we still required to abstain from meat on friday?”.

The answer to that is no, if the OP lives in the USA.

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-resources/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstinence.cfm

1. Every Catholic Christian understands that the fast and abstinence regulations admit of change, unlike the commandments and precepts of that unchanging divine moral law which the Church must today and always defend as immutable. This said, we emphasize that our people are henceforth free from the obligation traditionally binding under pain of sin in what pertains to Friday abstinence,except as noted above for Lent. We stress this so that "no"scrupulosity will enter into examinations of conscience,confessions, or personal decisions on this point.

Whether there is an obligation to do penance on all Fridays has been a topic of heated debate on a couple of threads on CAF. I have maintained that there is still an obligation, but some, quoting Jimmy Akin, have maintained that there is not.

Here is the link to his third article: jimmyakin.com/2004/07/friday_penance_.html
Links to the first two are in it.

I have read his articles and find that his reasoning is very similar to the reasoning used by those who reject Vatican II, but that’s just my opinion.

While the Apostolic Constitution PAENITEMINI gives the USCCB the right to “Substitute abstinence and fast wholly or in part with other forms of penitence and especially works of charity and the exercises of piety”, it does not give the USCCB the right to terminate the obligation to do penance on all Fridays, nor do I believe that the USCCB statement does this.

So, in the USA, we are not obilgated to abstain from meat on Friday, but I believe that we are obligated to do penance on Friday, as the Church prescribes (which we all know is the bare minimum).

Your ‘clarification’ in your post was correct, but your answer of ‘yes’ was not. That’s why I didn’t include your ‘clarification’ in my post.

 

[JRKH]

Thanks.

Although the OP is not in the U.S., and we don’t know what the norms are in Slovenia, the information you provided will be very useful to those of us who live in the States.

Peace
James

 

[JM3]

we don’t know what the norms are in Slovenia,

The OP should talk to his parish priest or contact his bishop’s office for this information. I don’t speak the language (I can barely spoke english ), so I can’t help.

 

[SJBurgess]

Fridays in Lent are obligatory but the Church encourages abstaining ever Friday

 

[Filii_Dei]

Fridays in Lent are obligatory but the Church encourages abstaining ever Friday

That’s not true at all. Canon 1250 stipulates that the observation of penance is obligatory on all Fridays, whether Lent or not. The posts in the first page have also shown that in some dioceses at least, abstinence is one option of observing the day of penance, and may be substituted by other acts.

 

[Filii_Dei]

Fridays in Lent are obligatory but the Church encourages abstaining ever Friday

Canon 1250 stipulates that the observation of penance is obligatory on all Fridays, Lent or not. The posts in the first page have also shown that in some dioceses at least, there is no distinction afforded between the obligation during Lent and outside of Lent, although obviously there is a greater spiritual imperative to observe penance during the period of Lent. However, abstinence may not be in itself obligatory. Some dioceses give the option for other ways of observing of penance other than abstinence. Do you mean that your diocese specifically obligates abstinence (not just penance in general) on Fridays during Lent?

 

[ajecphotos]

I always eat meat on a friday! I know, its wrong but its our one day that we treat ourselves. It will change for lent though.

 

[Santi2]

The Bishops of England and Wales re-established the Friday abstinence from meat in 2011. I thought I’d share this for the benefit of English and Welsh members.

Unfortunately, our PP and most priests from migrant communities in my deanery do not observe Friday abstinence.