Can someone please explain to me the Catholic practise of eating fish on friday's?

[sidetrack]

I am curious to know the reasons and origins for this practise.I’ve heard it’s because traditionally Catholic’s were’nt allowed to eat “red meat” on friday’s.I wondering though whether other kind’s of seafood such as shrimp,clams,squid etc can be used to substitue when there is no fish.Was this a practise discontinued after Vatican Council II or something to that effect?.Thank you very much so for your answers.

 

[Javl]

I am curious to know the reasons and origins for this practise.I’ve heard it’s because traditionally Catholic’s were’nt allowed to eat “red meat” on friday’s.I wondering though whether other kind’s of seafood such as shrimp,clams,squid etc can be used to substitue when there is no fish.Was this a practise discontinued after Vatican Council II or something to that effect?.Thank you very much so for your answers.

As a Catholic I have heard myriads of explanations and reasons all of which were supposedly the “official” reason/explanation of “no meat on Friday”. I guess the true explanation was lost somewhere along the line and maybe someday it will surface.

My best guess is that it was originally a disciplinary penance of a sort for some sin commited here in this country. It was then mandated to permanancy under pain of commiting a mortal sin if it was violated. Interestingly it was then mandated for all countries except for a certain few, such as Spain. They were allowed to eat anything on a Friday without committing a sin. Now as to whether this is the real reason or not, your guess is as good as mine.

The order was that no meat of any warm blooded animal was to be eaten on Fridays, but all sorts of food from the sea could. If no seafood was available, the order held and you ate vegetables or nothing. ( I have no idea if meat from reptiles was allowed ).

Vatican II eased up on the requirement, but if you do eat meat on a Friday now you must perform an act of Penance to atone for the action.

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem

 

[At_Trent]

Christ was crucified on Friday.

 

[Joe_5859]

I am curious to know the reasons and origins for this practise.I’ve heard it’s because traditionally Catholic’s were’nt allowed to eat “red meat” on friday’s.I wondering though whether other kind’s of seafood such as shrimp,clams,squid etc can be used to substitue when there is no fish.Was this a practise discontinued after Vatican Council II or something to that effect?.Thank you very much so for your answers.

I’m not sure why, but many people tend to confuse “abstaining from meat” with some sort of “mandate to eat fish.” Catholics have never been mandated to eat fish on Fridays or any other day. However, the obligation to abstain from meat has a deep historical tradition to it.

The most recent Code of Canon Law (1983) maintains this tradition of abstaining from meat on Friday. See canons 1249-1253 for more details.

Abstinence from meat on every Friday is still the universal norm. However, you’ll notice that canon 1253 allows for local conferences of bishops to make substitutions, which most of the major episcopal conferences have done, including the one in the United States (the USCCB). You can see this in their November 1966 Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence (which the 1983 Code of Canon Law has not abrogated). In this document, the U.S. bishops say that abstinence from meat is obligatory on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during Lent, but on Fridays outside of Lent, each individual may substitute some other suitable form of penance.

Now, abstinence from meat can mean eating fish or other seafood, but it certainly isn’t obligatory. All it means is not eating flesh meat (which is generally that which comes from warm-blooded animals). Neither my wife nor I are particularly fond of seafood. We tend to go with things like cheese pizza or waffles or something like that. Some people fast on bread and water (though I would only recommend doing that under the supervision of a spiritual director and probably a doctor). But regardless, no fish is required.

 

[white_sheep]

An excellent question. I don’t know the best answer, but I’ll try.

We abstain from meat on Friday as a form of penance in remembrance of the passion and crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday. Through penance and self denial we are connected to Christ and the Passion and try to emulate him more effectively. It’s living the faith outwardly.

The last post was quite good about the abstinence rules. I’ll add that on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday we are also required to fast. Also in the U.S. most hold that there is no obligation to abstain or perform an act of penance in its place, although some believe that there is such an obligation. But it is certainly highly recommended, therefore we should abstain from meat every Friday unless you don’t eat meat anyways and should then substitute another penitential practice. One should not casually disregard the teachings of the Church in this matter, even though it isn’t required(at least IMO) that doesn’t mean you can just ignore it.

 

[UnusVeritas]

In the really early church, the abstinence required everyone to be a vegan. No cheese or milk or anything like that either.

Over the years, the laws were relaxed, and for a long time, the law forbid the faithful from eating meat or the products of meat (i.e. meat grease) on Fridays. Anything else was a go. A person could eat seafood, fish, cheese, or anything else he pleased as long as it was not the meat of a warm-blooded animal. There were exceptions to the warm-blooded rule, but they were infrequent.

Recently, the abstinence was repealed, but the laws states that if a person does not abstain, he must do something else in its place.

 

[tee_eff_em]

Recently, the abstinence was repealed,

but the laws states that if a person does not abstain, he must do something else in its place.

This is mistaken (as noted above by [user]white sheep[/user]).

tee

 

[ProVobis]

I’m not sure why, but many people tend to confuse “abstaining from meat” with some sort of “mandate to eat fish.” Catholics have never been mandated to eat fish on Fridays or any other day.

Perhaps because a lot of Catholic calendars have a fish symbol on Fridays, especially those in Lent. But you’re right, there is no mandate to eat fish.

Interestingly enough, the fish was a symbol of early Christianity before the crucifix became more prominent.

 

[maurin]

Perhaps because a lot of Catholic calendars have a fish symbol on Fridays, especially those in Lent. But you’re right, there is no mandate to eat fish.

Interestingly enough, the fish was a symbol of early Christianity before the crucifix became more prominent.

Because of the persecutions, fish, or ichthus in Greek, was code for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior:
Iesu
Christe
Theou
Uios
Soter

 

[Iotaunum]

I think the majority of those who would consider themselves traditional Catholics still do abstain from meat on Fridays for the reasons others here have already explained. I myself do not like Fish nor seafood, so on Fridays I go vegetarian. I think it is a worthwhile practice because not everyone can bring them selves to fast or abstain these days and a routine such as this encourages us to do so. Also, at all meal times you remind yourself that meat is off limits, and thus you think more of the Sacrifice of Chist and why you are abstaining, much like sacred images move us to pray when we would not think to do so otherwise. Why the practice has been given up in recent times I have no Idea. It is a practice which is needed moreso today than ever.

 

[Filioque]

Friday abstinence was a relaxation of earlier practices in both Jewish and Catholic practice.

In the Early Church Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdays were days one would abstain from meat, including fish and dairy. Over the centuries the practices were relaxed or modified both East and West, (although the East still has much stricter restrictions during Lent and Advent than the West). In Judaism the observance has been limited to a few days on the Calendar, like Tish B’Av, and Yom Kippur, as well as a couple of other days. In the early days of the Church most Jews observed Wednesday and Friday as a day of abstaning from meat, a custom that seems to have been continued by the Church, but with a different significance.

 

[Javl]

FYI:

When I was a tad back in the 1930’s, Cardinal Spellman, the Archbishop of N.Y. (where I grew up ) made it a mortal sin if you ate anything other than seafood or vegetables on any Friday. When I was fourteen, I went to see the Bklyn Dodgers play the NY Giants. It was a Friday afternoon. I got hungry and ate a frankfurter. When I realized what I had done, I was sure I was going to hell. I immediately left the ballpark and headed home to my parish Church to confess my sin! Needless to say I was forgiven, but I had to say the rosary for penance. Today, in my old age, I eat meat on a Friday ( except for lent and some other days ) and still say the rosary for penance.
Just thought I’d throw story this in.

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem

 

[Robert_Burns]

I am curious to know the reasons and origins for this practise.I’ve heard it’s because traditionally Catholic’s were’nt allowed to eat “red meat” on friday’s.I wondering though whether other kind’s of seafood such as shrimp,clams,squid etc can be used to substitue when there is no fish.Was this a practise discontinued after Vatican Council II or something to that effect?.Thank you very much so for your answers.

oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Abstinence_%28Food%29

 

[ConstantineTG]

I am curious to know the reasons and origins for this practise.I’ve heard it’s because traditionally Catholic’s were’nt allowed to eat “red meat” on friday’s.I wondering though whether other kind’s of seafood such as shrimp,clams,squid etc can be used to substitue when there is no fish.Was this a practise discontinued after Vatican Council II or something to that effect?.Thank you very much so for your answers.

Friday of course is the day our Lord died on the Cross, a day of penance.

Here is what a priest once told us during his Homily. Meat is such an ordinary thing, for us we take it for granted everyday. Most of what we do that leads us to sin is ordinary to us too. Oftentimes for example, we don’t think much of the TV shows we watch, but a lot of it has sexual content that leads us to lust. Or the flamboyance of some celebrities lead us to desire material things. If we can train our minds to forgo something as ordinary to our everyday lives as meat, then we can train our minds to be watchful of the little things that lead us to sin so that we can abstain from them as well.