Can artificial meat be eaten on days of abstinence?

[JimR-OCDS]

For me, eating artificial meat would be a form of mortification.

Jim

 

[MusicMan]

It is perhaps time for one of two things to happen:

1.) The Church to reexamine this penitential practice and consider one that is penitential.

2.) The Church to clarify the history and reasons why this practice exists and demand better teaching in religious ed, RCIA, and from the pulpit. The First Sunday of Lent would be a great opportunity.

 

[bpbasilphx]

I eat such because veggie burgers and such get me out of the kitchen in a hurry–which is one of the ideas behind fasting and abstinence.

 

[FrDavid96]

Can imitation meat be eaten on days of abstinence or would that be considered as adhering to the letter of the law but not to the spirit of the law?

Sir Knight,

Why not just be a good Catholic and pass on the artificial meat? Go for the lobster instead. After all, you’re fasting.

Joking aside, no, artificial meat is not at all breaking the rule of abstaining from meats.

Now for a bit of trivia:
Artificial bacon pieces (depending on the brand) are certified Kosher by strict rabbinical schools.

 

[Joannm]

Veggie burgers are one of my Friday staples. No, not because they are substitute burgers, for I don’t eat red meat as a rule. Depending on the type you buy, they are very tastey.

 

[tee_eff_em]

The purpose of the days of abstinence is sacrifice. If eating artificial meat is enjoyable for you, then that is not a sacrifice.

:nope: The purpose of days of penance is to do penance. The purpose of abstinence is to be obedient to the Church in how she requires us to do penance, and the Church asks us primarily to abstain (but the several episcopal conferences are charged that this may be altered).

If the purpose were to sacrifice, what sacrifice is it for a vegetarian, who habitually abstains from meat, to abstain? (Indeed, if the purpose were to sacrifice, by not partaking of enjoyable food, I would need eat watermelon 3 meals a day, Friday in and Friday out, for that is one of the few if not only foods I can say I truly do not enjoy – I enjoy going *entirely without *food more than eating watermelon)

Honestly, I like cheese pizza, I like Tuna Casserole, both meet the requirement of “no meat” so even if you enjoy fake meat, it is not meat so it is okay to eat those on days of abstinence.

For me the sacrifice is remembering and planning meals around no meat themes, not the type of meals or what “no meat” protein I use.

Brenda V.

I find needing to be aware of the day, and conciously submitting my mind and will to legitimate authority, to be the benefit of this discipline.

tee

 

[tee_eff_em]

Can imitation meat be eaten on days of abstinence or would that be considered as adhering to the letter of the law but not to the spirit of the law?

Even some meat derivatives adhere to both the letter and spirit of the law.

The law of abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, the products of milk or condiments made of animal fat.

*Paenitemini *(Apostolic Constitution On Penance)
Pope Paul VI, 1966​

It has even been interpreted that broths derived from meat are acceptable. (I myself tend to stay away from them, as a personal choice, that I not lose the sense of discipline I write of above :twocents: )

tee

 

[Hippolytus]

This is how I look at it.

If one is eating “imitation meat” as a way around (say a loop hole) the rule of not eating meat on a day of abstience then it is wrong.

If one is eating it because they truly believe that it is a health alternative and it is something they do on a regular basis, then no it most likely is not wrong.

I think the issue goes to what is in one’s heart.

It can/will be different for each person.

Well, even if it is for “health” reasons, there’s the rub, the imitation meat for many would fill in the role meat as a protein contains. I like some of the imitations because they have brown rice in it which is healthy which I guess rice is still a carohydrate.

Gardenburger ( gardenburger.com/ ) has one burger, I’m not sure of all that is in it, maybe Shiitake mushrooms, a protein and it really is delicious and a good burger substitute but I forgo having those on a Fast day.

In the end, what are speaking of? Isn’t Fish a meat substitute?

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

If it is not meat, it can be eaten on days of abstinence, but why would you? It would be far better to follow the penitential spirit of the law.

At the same time, I disagree that the question is wholly misguided - there is value in knowing what the law does and does not require, and perhaps I could be asking because want to know what happens if someone else serves it to me, etc. Or maybe I think: I’ll eat the fake meat but observe some other equally or more onerous penance in its place. That seems like a convoluted way of joining the Church in penance - skirting the communally mandated norm through a sort of loophole and doing your own thing - but I wouldn’t totally rule out the possibility of its value (there’s always at least an infinitesimal chance that what is licit could be good ).

 

[Wildgraywolf]

For me, eating artificial meat would be a form of mortification.

Jim

Amen.

 

[cirruslogic]

I think the idea behind not eating meat on days of abstinence is that the vast majority of people love eating meat so abstaining from meat is an act of self denial which ultimately should bring forth charity and love towards others.