Fish on Fridays Canon Law?

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Monicathree

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Hey all,

I have a friend who is reverting back to the Catholic church, thank God. đź‘Ť
I brought up the fact that many Catholics do not know that we still should abstain from meat on Fridays, but if we don’t that we should perform another small act of penance. She asked me if this was Canon Law. I first said yes, got my Catechism, and with the kids there, I just was too distracted to find it. Then, I started second guessing myself, but I learned it somewhere, so she said she would ask her confirmation teacher that night. Did I invent this, in my little ol’ sleep deprived mind, or is it indeed church law. Thanks in advance and God Bless!

Peace
 
CCL 1249-1253 However you will also need to lok for the specific considerations established by the Bishops for your country.
 
…this is a misleading topic…I thought having fish on Fridays was a cannon law…

…While my father demands we eat fish on Fridays he says that you don’t have to abstain from meat except during lent…

…can anyone (name removed by moderator)ut on that?
 
Most Catholics think that Vatican II did away with the requirement of not eating meat on any Friday of the year. Most think it is now just Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent that we cannot eat meat.

This is what the new Code of Canon Law brought out in 1983 says about the matter:

Canon 1251
Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.Canon Law still requires that Catholics not eat meat on Fridays!

Of course, most Episcopal Conferences have determined that, instead of abstaining from meat, Catholics may perform an act of penance of their choosing which is what U.S. Bishops chose - see here:

cin.org/mateo/9512291.html

This should answer all your questions if you live in the U.S.
I have heard that the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (the United States’ Episcopal Conference) is currently debating whether to rescind the determination and require all Catholics to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. .
 
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Meggie:
…this is a misleading topic…I thought having fish on Fridays was a cannon law…

…While my father demands we eat fish on Fridays he says that you don’t have to abstain from meat except during lent…

…can anyone (name removed by moderator)ut on that?
Click to expand...
JMJ

**There never has been ** **a requirement to eat fish ** on Fridays or any other day. The Canon law WAS that you must abstain from the flesh and liquids from a warm blooded animal on Fridays, Ember Days, Vigils of certain feasts, and all weekdays (Mon-Sat) during Lent. Most Catholics chose fish as the main dish for dinner. However, grilled-cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs, PB&J, etc., etc., met the requirement; just no meat or meat by-products.

The law still exists with a provision that the bishops could change the “penance” to something else. The bishops of the U.S. did change that penance **to be a sacrifice of your choice ** rather than require it to be abstinence from meat. However, you may continue to abstain from meat as your choice, which is my choice. Let me add an exception. Your Father is partly correct in that the abstinance from meat is still required on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent.
 
Apparently, at least for the church in the United States, the Friday penance (whether it is abstention from meat or some other personal practice) is still to be observed. However, the observance is not mandatory.

JimG
 
GeorgeCooney said:
**There never has been ****a requirement to eat fish **on Fridays or any other day. The Canon law WAS that you must abstain from the flesh and liquids from a warm blooded animal on Fridays, Ember Days, Vigils of certain feasts, and all weekdays (Mon-Sat) during Lent. Most Catholics chose fish as the main dish for dinner. However, grilled-cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs, PB&J, etc., etc., met the requirement; just no meat or meat by-products.
Click to expand...

A point brought home charmingly in Fr. Feeney’s endearing Fish on Friday. Enjoy. 🙂

http://www.fatherfeeney.org/indices/poetry-fr.gif
 
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