Eating Fish

[TimothyH]

I love it that here in the US the fast food restaurants kicked it up a notch and started offering the double fish-wich during Lent. It always cracks me up to see the fish sandwich advertisements ramp up this time of year even here in the South, which has a (relatively) small Catholic population.

Ah, Charlston…

The Marietta Fish Market here in Cobb County, Georgia has some wonderful Friday night specials during lent. The owners are Greeks. We pass by two Longhorn Steakhouses to get there.

Sweet Tomatoes is always a good choice during lent as well.

-Tim-

 

[LemonAndLime]

But the original Latin as understood in the time defined meat differently from the English definition of meat. That’s the thing. Meat was considered the flesh of warm blooded creatures. Fish are cold blooded; ergo, fish was not meat according to the understanding of the time regarding what was and was not meat.

Remember, at the time meat was defined that way, the medical profession also believed that the liver was the ‘seat’ of the body’s function, and that humanity could be divided into four groups based upon the ‘humours’ of the bodily fluids --melancholic, choleric, sanguine, and phlegmatic. We sure don’t understand our body that way today–our understanding of the human body has developed. So has our understanding of meat.

You cannot insist on a 21st century "English definition’ to define a 3rd century Latin word. . .

Why can’t people read my post?

I am not speaking in latin. So when I say that fish is meat, I am not wrong.

When talking about what you are permitted to eat on Fridays during lent, fish is permitted, because when talking about abstaining from meat the latin word for meat when translated back to latin does not cover fish.

However, when someone says, in English, in present day, that they do not eat meat but they eat fish that are creating an error. Like it or not, we don’t speak latin. So saying “I can only eat fish on Fridays” removes any confusion, doesn’t offend vegetarians and doesn’t contradict your own language.

Simple. I am not asking to redefine a latin word. But for people to recognise that as far as the language you and I are speaking is concerned, fish is meat.

 

[grasscutter]

Why can’t people read my post?

I am not speaking in latin. So when I say that fish is meat, I am not wrong.

When talking about what you are permitted to eat on Fridays during lent, fish is permitted, because when talking about abstaining from meat the latin word for meat when translated back to latin does not cover fish.

However, when someone says, in English, in present day, that they do not eat meat but they eat fish that are creating an error. Like it or not, we don’t speak latin. So saying “I can only eat fish on Fridays” removes any confusion, doesn’t offend vegetarians and doesn’t contradict your own language.

Simple. I am not asking to redefine a latin word. But for people to recognise that as far as the language you and I are speaking is concerned, fish is meat.

I understand what you are saying. When I catch and cook fish, I call it meat. However, the OP’s question was about why a lot of (not all) Catholics eat fish on Fridays. His question was answered. I guess I just don’t get why on a thread about why Catholics eat fish on Fridays, that you would make such a semantically big deal about what, biologically, can be called meat. It just felt, to me, like a thread derail. Not that I haven’t ever been guilty of that.

 

[catharina]

But for people to recognise that as far as the language you and I are speaking is concerned, fish is meat.

Yet in my lifetime, 66 yrs as a cradle Catholic,
I’ve only known of one person who insists
on calling fish a "meat. That one is you.

Really.

 

[TrueLight]

I know where LemonandLime is coming from. I hate to hear people say I’m a vegetarian and then in the same breath say they eat fish. Fish is flesh.

But that has nothing to do with this topic.

 

[johnnyjones]

I know where LemonandLime is coming from. I hate to hear people say I’m a vegetarian and then in the same breath say they eat fish. Fish is flesh.

But that has nothing to do with this topic.

Lent is not about vegetarianism, some are confusing the issue.

 

[catharina]

Lent is not about vegetarianism, some are confusing the issue.

Yes!

 

[LemonAndLime]

I know where LemonandLime is coming from. I hate to hear people say I’m a vegetarian and then in the same breath say they eat fish. Fish is flesh.

But that has nothing to do with this topic.

No, it does.

Why do you think people do not count fish as meat? Where does that assumption come from?

 

[ora_pro_nobis]

In the comedy series the Royle Family, the family are non-plussed when the son’s girlfriend comes to tea for the first time and says she is vegetarian - the old granny says “can she have ham?”

I sometimes eat fish on a Friday, but always feel I’m not following the spirit of the rule as the fish is usually more expensive than the cheap meat I get on other days.

Of course fish is meat - that’s why vegetarians don’t eat it!

 

[johnnyjones]

No, it does.

Why do you think people do not count fish as meat? Where does that assumption come from?

“People” may count it as but not the church. Why do you refuse to accept the church’s teaching on this?

 

[johnnyjones]

In the comedy series the Royle Family, the family are non-plussed when the son’s girlfriend comes to tea for the first time and says she is vegetarian - the old granny says “can she have ham?”

I sometimes eat fish on a Friday, but always feel I’m not following the spirit of the rule as the fish is usually more expensive than the cheap meat I get on other days.

Of course fish is meat - that’s why vegetarians don’t eat it!

Maybe your a vegetarian Catholic, that’s your prerogative, please don’t assume all Catholics are. The Catholic church permits the eating of fish during lent due to pope VI’s pronouncement.

 

[LemonAndLime]

“People” may count it as but not the church. Why do you refuse to accept the church’s teaching on this?

When have I refused to accept the Church’s teaching on it?

 

[ora_pro_nobis]

Maybe your a vegetarian Catholic, that’s your prerogative, please don’t assume all Catholics are. The Catholic church permits the eating of fish during lent due to pope VI’s pronouncement.

No, I’m not a vegetarian and I’m certainly not assuming all Catholics are - don’t know where you got that from.

As I said, I sometimes eat fish on a Friday, sometimes have something veggie, in obedience to the England and Wales Conference of Bishops, who pronounced that from September 2011 the Friday penance should be to abstain from meat. Actually I was doing that anyway from the time I became a Catholic 13 years ago.

I don’t understand why you would think LemonandLime is refusing to accept the Church’s teaching - she is vegetarian so of course doesn’t eat meat on a Friday!

 

[johnnyjones]

No, I’m not a vegetarian and I’m certainly not assuming all Catholics are - don’t know where you got that from.

As I said, I sometimes eat fish on a Friday, sometimes have something veggie, in obedience to the England and Wales Conference of Bishops, who pronounced that from September 2011 the Friday penance should be to abstain from meat. Actually I was doing that anyway from the time I became a Catholic 13 years ago.

I don’t understand why you would think LemonandLime is refusing to accept the Church’s teaching - she is vegetarian so of course doesn’t eat meat on a Friday!

You made the point that fish is meat to vegetarians, so what. My point is , if your a vegetarian, follow the rules that work for you. The constant implication is that Catholic church somehow has it wrong.

 

[johnnyjones]

When have I refused to accept the Church’s teaching on it?

“Fish is meat”, those aren’t your words? The church doesn’t teach that in regards to lent, and that is what is being discussed. What the world or any one else says is irrelevant.

 

[EcceAgnusDei]

I was a strict vegetarian for many many years. When people asked me about it, I just told them I was practicing perpetual abstinance

I’d like to re-emphasize what was pointed out earlier. As Catholics, we are called to penance on Friday. The universal norm of the Church is to not eat meat, but in America we have an indult. However, we need to substitute a penance if we choose to eat meat.

I personally think we should abstain from meat on all Fridays anyways, as it is the universal norm and will unify us with other Catholics around the world. It will also connect us with our Catholic ancestors, heritage, and tradition.

One sad aspect of the tumult within the Catholic Church in the past 50 years has been the degradation of a unique Catholic culture, of which not eating meat on Fridays was an integral part.

• PAX

 

[Tantum_ergo]

No, it does.

Why do you think people do not count fish as meat? Where does that assumption come from?

Today most people believe the flesh of a creature (fish, fowl, or otherwise) is MEAT.

But the original understanding of meat (according to the Romans, Greeks, and earlier civilizations) was that flesh meat was that of fowls and warm blooded creatures, not fish.

Please try to remember that the abstinence from meat may not contain a definition which you personally agree with in the ‘modern English language’ but that just because some people eat fish, you don’t have to.**** You are free to not eat ANY meat whatsoever.

You are free to eat eggs, or cheese, or even tofu burgers, lentils, rice, etc.

If you want to be super technical and modern, you can even say, “The Church requires abstinence from all meat other than fish”. Because that is the ‘modern’ understanding.
How about that??

 

[Aeden]

Catholics don’t need to eat fish on Fridays in Lent, fish just tastes awesome with the right seasoning. The reason we do that is that we can’t eat meat during Lenten Fridays to abstain from something in remembrance of Jesus’ death.

Also, there’s no such thing as a stupid question regarding the faith…believe me, I’ve asked my priest some doozies! The more you ask questions about it, the more you can understand it and the closer you get to God.

 

[Sara_Balzano]

I generally do not eat fish on Good Friday.

 

[LemonAndLime]

Today most people believe the flesh of a creature (fish, fowl, or otherwise) is MEAT.

But the original understanding of meat (according to the Romans, Greeks, and earlier civilizations) was that flesh meat was that of fowls and warm blooded creatures, not fish.

That is what I have been saying all along!

Please try to remember that the abstinence from meat may not contain a definition which you personally agree with in the ‘modern English language’ but that just because some people eat fish, you don’t have to.**** You are free to not eat ANY meat whatsoever.

I know that. I am saying that by continuing to use the old definition of meat, people are inadvertedly making life harder for vegetarians as restaurants and many people seem to assume I still eat fish.

If you want to be super technical and modern, you can even say, “The Church requires abstinence from all meat other than fish”. Because that is the ‘modern’ understanding.
How about that??

That’s what I’ve been asking!