Catholics must fast and abstain from meat this Valentine’s Day, archdiocese confirms

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I recall one year St. Patrick’s Day fell on a Friday, my bishop at the time was asked if he was going to give a dispensation from the “no meat” obligation. His response: “I don’t think St. Patrick would have asked for a dispensation.” 😜

Nonetheless, I understand why a bishop would do so, especially if he has a large group of Irish-Americans.

But doing away with fasting and abstinence for Ash Wednesday because of Valentine’s Day? I don’t think any bishop would do that.
 
Joe_5859 said:
I recall one year St. Patrick’s Day fell on a Friday, my bishop at the time was asked if he was going to give a dispensation from the “no meat” obligation. His response: “I don’t think St. Patrick would have asked for a dispensation.” 😜

Nonetheless, I understand why a bishop would do so, especially if he has a large group of Irish-Americans.

But doing away with fasting and abstinence for Ash Wednesday because of Valentine’s Day? I don’t think any bishop would do that.
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I think your Bishop is wholly correct.

Irish don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s day the way Americans do.

Which is why it is extremely confusing to Americans that the Bishops would “choose” one fake and overdone holiday over another.
 
Well, I didn’t eat corned beef, but I remember a friend of mine whose brother fixed this gorgeous corned beef and cabbage dinner and his Mom would not eat it. The look on my friend’s face was priceless when I said our bishop had given a dispensation for Catholics that St. Patrick’s Day.
 
7_Sorrows said:
Well, I didn’t eat corned beef, but I remember a friend of mine whose brother fixed this gorgeous corned beef and cabbage dinner and his Mom would not eat it. The look on my friend’s face was priceless when I said our bishop had given a dispensation for Catholics that St. Patrick’s Day.
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I’m sorry, but I think what the brother did was jerky and rude.

To make food and then reveal later that a dispensation was granted is awful. The whole idea of a dispensation it is that it is NOT A “get out of jail free card” it is only tangible if someone can reflect on it and decide what they’d like to do. 10 minutes before dinner is NOT the time.
 
Well, I don’t think the brother was thinking about the fast on Friday. The adult children were all baptized and confirmed Catholics, but are not practicing Catholics.
The mother even mentioned to me once that if her friends want to go to church and believe that is fine for them, but not for her. At the same time the mother wants the outward signs of being Catholic like receiving the Ashes if she remembers when Lent begins or eating fish on Friday.
The mother is in her 70’s and a life long Catholic. The brother was actually being
generous cooking a huge meal for the family, but since he is not a practicing Catholic, he wasn’t thinking about it being
Friday during Lent and since they don’t attend Mass, no one had heard of the
dispensation. I think as there are cultural
Jews, this family might be considered cultural Catholics.
 
I honestly don’t understand the complaints about fasting in the Catholic Church. Really, you can have fish instead of beef 4 or 5 times a year and this is a hardship? When I read the lives of the saints and see what they endured for our Lord and the faith I stand humbled. Then I read an article about corned beef on St. Patricks day and I am heartbroken.

I am Orthodox so we do fasting just a bit differently, maybe its because we get so much more practice. I need to now work on not just what I put in my mouth, but how much. I am entirely too fat for someone who is supposed to be fasting so often! 🙂

Joyous feast!
s prazdnikom!
 
Technically not accurate, because any feast that falls on Ash Wednesday is transferred to the following day. So, this year, Valentine’s Day is February 15.
 
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