Byzantine Catholic Fasting and Abstinence

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I’ll be a Byzantine Catholic in about … 5 hours?

And I don’t quite understand/know what the rules for fasting and abstinence are within that rite. I heard there are periods of time when no abstinence is practiced (even on Wednesdays and Fridays and I’m not sure what those time frames are) and that for most Wednesdays and Fridays it’s meatless right? Then there’s like 3 other more strict fasting periods through the year (pre-Nativity, great-Lent, something to do with Peter and Paul and maybe something to do with Dormition) but I’m not quite sure what the rules are for each of those are and how flexible/varied they are. Could anybody here enlighten me?

Thanks 🙂
 
This is an older link. But, I believe it should help you a great deal. Congratulations and may God Bless you, the Holy Spirit ,especially on this Pentecost, guide you and our Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary cover you with her mantle.
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Byzantine Catholic Fasting and Abstinence Eastern Catholicism
I’ll be a Byzantine Catholic in about … 5 hours? And I don’t quite understand/know what the rules for fasting and abstinence are within that rite. I heard there are periods of time when no abstinence is practiced (even on Wednesdays and Fridays and I’m not sure what those time frames are) and that for most Wednesdays and Fridays it’s meatless right? Then there’s like 3 other more strict fasting periods through the year (pre-Nativity, great-Lent, something to do with Peter and Paul and maybe som…
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Abstaining from meat and fasts in the Eastern Rites Eastern Catholicism
I know what the history and rules for we Latin Catholics is regarding no meat on Fridays, fast on Good Friday and today (Ash Wednesday), and the history of that. But it occurs to me that I do not know what the rules are for those in Eastern Rites. I know they are different, however. So can somebody tell me what they are? And do you have a year around Friday obligation of some kind? Or one on some other day, other than Sunday? And do the same rules that bind the Eastern Rite here also bind …
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Yes there are 4 traditional fasting periods. Each church has different rules for each period too. The Apostle’s Fast will start next Monday (May 28th) for those following the Gregorian calendar. This coming week is Trinity week which is fast free. Traditionally weds and fridays are fasting days as well, but again each church is different…most have eliminated weds.
 
Ask your local priest. Fasting and abstinence varies among the different Byzantine Catholic Churches. I am Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic. I believe we are the most relaxed when it comes to fasting in America compared to the other Byzantine churches (Melkite, Ukrainian, Maronite, etc.).
 
MP_Kid said:
Ask your local priest. Fasting and abstinence varies among the different Byzantine Catholic Churches. I am Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic. I believe we are the most relaxed when it comes to fasting in America compared to the other Byzantine churches (Melkite, Ukrainian, Maronite, etc.)
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The Maronite Church is not part of the Byzantine Catholic Churches
 
But it is an Eastern Catholic Church? If they do not have Liturgy, what does the Maronite Church have?
 
MP_Kid said:
But it is an Eastern Catholic Church? If they do not have Liturgy, what does the Maronite Church have?
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The Maronite Church is Eastern, but not Byzantine. Rather, its eucharistic liturgy is West-Syriac in origin.
 
MP_Kid said:
But it is an Eastern Catholic Church? If they do not have Liturgy, what does the Maronite Church have?
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The Maronite Church is of the West Syriac Rite, along with the Syriac Catholic Church, and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

The East Syriac Rite is made up of the Chaldean Catholic Church, and Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

The Alexandrian Rite is made up of the Eritrean, Ethiopian, and Coptic Catholic Churches,

The Armenian Rite is made up of the Armenian Catholic Church.

All these Churches are in communion with Rome. As you can see there are many other Eastern Catholic Churches aside from those that belong to the Byzantine Rite.
 
It varies significantly among byzantine and other easer churches.

The traditional fast is, roughly, no set (fish is meat!) on most Wednesdays and Fridays through most of the year (but fasting isn’t simply not required, but outright prohibited, during Bright Week, the week after easter).

For Great Lent, no meat (again, fish are meat), dairy, olive oil (kept in animal skins), or wine (beer is bread). Fish is allowed on Saturday, and wine on Sunday (or do i have that backwards?

Cheesefare and Meatfare Sundays the two weekends before lent were typically when remaining amounts of the corresponding products were consumed.

St. Phillip’s fast (forty days before Christmas) is similar, as are the two two-week fasts, alt hose these generally aren’t as strict.

Some churches modernly ave changed these. Mine (Pittsburgh) drops the Wednesday fasting throughout the year (outside of lent), uses the Roman notion of meat, only fasts from dairy on the Monday that starts great Lent and on Good Friday, and I think dropped the wine and oil entirely (or it may apply on the no-dairy days).

Also, note that unlike the Roman fasting under penalty of sin, which prescribes a minimum, the Eastern are aspirational, and a goal to be attained. They certainly aren’t expected of all, and definitely not beginners.

hawk
 
dochawk said:
Some churches modernly ave changed these. Mine (Pittsburgh) drops the Wednesday fasting throughout the year (outside of lent), uses the Roman notion of meat, only fasts from dairy on the Monday that starts great Lent and on Good Friday, and I think dropped the wine and oil entirely (or it may apply on the no-dairy days).
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Yes. My parish is part of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh and this is what we do.
 
After planting tongue firmly in cheek, I refer to us as “the fasting wimps of the Eastern Church”

🤣 😱 :roll_eyes:

hawk
 
Oh , we totally are! I seriously don’t think I would be able to make it through the stricter fasts!
 
So what does fasting entail as opposed to just abstinence? Is it the same as the Latin concept?

And are the fasting rules for the Great Fast the same for the other designated fasting periods? From what I understand, the Apostles Fast leading up to the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul has already begun.
 
I don’t know about the Pittsburgh metropolia; we kind of mention that it’s that time of year (did I mention “fasting wimps”?).

I know that it’s less than Great Lent for others, but I really don’t know how much.

Oh, and I think the traditional lending fast also includes a complete fast until noon(?), but I’mm not certain.

:headslap: And how could I forget–we fast from the Divine Liturgy itself during Lenten weekdays, with only Wednesday and Friday pre-sanctified liturgy (written by Pope St. Gregory the Great)

hawk
 
Paragon468 said:
So what does fasting entail as opposed to just abstinence? Is it the same as the Latin concept?
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It’s both…less food but also restricted foods.
Paragon468 said:
And are the fasting rules for the Great Fast the same for the other designated fasting periods? From what I understand, the Apostles Fast leading up to the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul has already begun.
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The Apostles Fast began last Monday for Churches using the Gregorian Calendar. For those using the Julian or Revised Julian, it will begin tomorrow. Here’s a helpful link about fasting the Orthodox Church.

http://www.abbamoses.com/fasting.html
 
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