Fish On Fridays Just During Lent or Not?

[MikeDunphy]

Canon law states the following:

1. All persons who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their sixtieth year. Nevertheless, pastors and parents are to see to it that minors who are not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are educated in an authentic sense of penance.

“If any”? Canon 1253 says that bishops’ conferences can substitute other penitential acts for fast and abstinence. It does not say they can completely dispense with penitential observances. Fridays throughout the year remain penitential days:

1250 All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the entire Church.

1251 Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

…This refers to the document, Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence, which was a statement issued on this November 18, 1966, by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (now called the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops). In this document, the USCCB states the following:

1. Among the works of voluntary self-denial and personal penance which we especially commend to our people for the future observance of Friday, even though we hereby terminate the traditional law of abstinence binding under pain of sin, as the sole prescribed means

Abstinence is no longer the sole prescribed means of “observing Friday”. That is very different from saying that Fridays are no longer penitential days. Fast and abstinence can be freely chosen, or something else can be offered up, but we as Catholics must offer God something on Fridays.

 

[Adeodatus]

“If any”? Canon 1253 says that bishops’ conferences can substitute other penitential acts for fast and abstinence. It does not say they can completely dispense with penitential observances. Fridays throughout the year remain penitential days:

Abstinence is no longer the sole prescribed means of “observing Friday”. That is very different from saying that Fridays are no longer penitential days. Fast and abstinence can be freely chosen, or something else can be offered up, but we as Catholics must offer God something on Fridays.

I believe you are correct, Mike. The canon does not appear to ascribe to the bishops’ conferences the competence to abolish penitential observance completely.

A friend once darkly observed to me that the most lavish meal he had ever eaten was at the residence of a bishop, on Good Friday.

The fact is that every aspect of the Catholic faith and integrated life has, for the past 40+ years, been under constant attack from without but also, most gravely, from within. We have to hold fast to the things that will sanctify us.

But we also mustn’t lose hope for the future, swell ourselves with pride over ‘our’ good behavior (which would be impossible to us without grace) or become uncharitable. We may have to, at times, fight for the Tradition, even against those above us who are determined to destroy the Catholic Tradition, but we have to do so faithfully and without schism. The Jews survived the Babylonian Captivity, the Church has survived Arianism, the fall of Rome, the rise of Islam and the Protestant Reformation. We can survive this, too.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Okay, I’m still just as confused. I have heard some of you say abstaining from meat is *required, *while others are saying it is a mere suggestion or encouragement.

If I weren’t so absolutely confident about the Catholic faith, and knew that Christ is the one who founded her, and taken into account we are all imperfect humans…I would question an institution whose members cannot even agree on internal matters. Sorry…just venting. It’s frustrating…just like not being able to get a straight answer as to what sins are grave and which ones aren’t (and I don’t mean the obvious ones).

On another note, I didn’t mean to imply that we were required to eat fish. I just worded it wrong. The point I was getting at was that we were to abstain from meat. BTW, why doesn’t fish constitute meat? Isn’t that splitting hairs? Maybe there’s some historical or traditional reason I’m unaware of.

I have heard that the fish suggestion comes from the main protein that Jesus and the apostles ate, which was fish.

 

[Redbaron998]

For those not in a easy family situation to abstain from meat on non-lenten or holy day fridays, what is a good practice?

I have been praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every friday instead. Is that ok?

 

[ChrisCrop]

the whole thing IS confusing!
why is it a sin to eat a mcdonalds hamburger on a lenten friday but it is
perfectly acceptable to eat a lobster with butter???
yeah, real penance , ay?

 

[Adeodatus]

For those not in a easy family situation to abstain from meat on non-lenten or holy day fridays, what is a good practice?

I have been praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every friday instead. Is that ok?

That’s a beautiful devotion and a splendid thing to do. Don’t stop! However, I think it would be best if you contacted your diocesan chancery and found out what your local bishops has decreed to be acceptable substitute penance. If there is a specific decree binding in your diocese then you should do that, too.

 

[damooster]

Abstinence is no longer the sole prescribed means of “observing Friday”. That is very different from saying that Fridays are no longer penitential days. Fast and abstinence can be freely chosen, or something else can be offered up, but we as Catholics must offer God something on Fridays.

Did you read the norms for the USCCB that I included, and then the pastoral letter (that the USCCB reiterated in 2007 as the norms) that I also linked?

I’d also like to add that Jimmy Akin also concluded that Americans are not obligated to perform penitential acts outside of Lent on Fridays. He may not be an official authority on the manner, but he is highly regarded.

Read it here: catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0501bt.asp

 

[jmcrae]

I’d also like to add that Jimmy Akin also concluded that Americans are not obligated to perform penitential acts outside of Lent on Fridays.

Jimmy Akin is incorrect on this matter - and it’s okay, because he’s not the Pope, and it is not expected that he can be infallible.

I do understand that he is highly regarded, but at the same time, no matter who it is that tells you something, no matter how well-respected they may be, always, always double-check it with the authoritative writings of the Church.

 

[Adeodatus]

Did you read the norms for the USCCB that I included, and then the pastoral letter (that the USCCB reiterated in 2007 as the norms) that I also linked?

I’d also like to add that Jimmy Akin also concluded that Americans are not obligated to perform penitential acts outside of Lent on Fridays. He may not be an official authority on the manner, but he is highly regarded.

Read it here: catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0501bt.asp

The USCCB can say whatever it likes, but it does not appear to have the canonical authority to abolish the penitential character of Friday.

 

[utah_rose]

The discipline was not that you had to eat fish but that you can’t eat meat. I think that in more recent decades abstaining from meat isn’t seen as that much of a penitential practice. I could go days without eating meat or fish. What is important is that Friday include some form of penitential act. The bishops have allowed us to choose for ourselves what it will be. So for some it may mean abstaining from meat. For other it can mean not watching TV or spending more time in prayer.

I am trying to abstain from using the computer on Friday, or listening to my IPOD (I love music) and also trying to be nicer and more helpful on Fridays.

That’s much harder for me then fasting from meat as I don’t eat it much anyway. During Lent I do the same every day, and the only music I listen to is religious. And oh yes, I do not eat meat on Friday during Lent. I find that during Lenten Fridays is the time I am tempted for a hamburger or pizza while during the rest of the year its not so prevalent.

 

[damooster]

So the people that disagree with me agree that the USCCB did make penitential acts on Fridays outside of Lent optional but argue that the USCCB does not have the canonical authority to do so? Am I understanding that correctly?

 

[Genesius]

I think with all the new changes, there will also be a change to the norms of penitential acts on Fridays to include standing on your head and clucking like a chicken…okay, maybe not…LOL.

Sorry…it was getting a little heated in here, so I thought I would help cool things down a bit with some humor.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

So the people that disagree with me agree that the USCCB did make penitential acts on Fridays outside of Lent optional but argue that the USCCB does not have the canonical authority to do so? Am I understanding that correctly?

since cannon law does not give the autority to the USCCB to do away with it then I would say I agree with your statement. However I have a question your statments from the USCCB are from 1966 and cannon law has been undated since then do we have any thing on this subject from the USCCB since 1966? I mean it is my understanding the cannon law was revised in the 1980’s.

Jimmy Atkins aside. His statements carry no more wait then yours or mine when it comes down to it. I do seem to recall in his statement though that he sugested that abstinance from meat would still be well advised.

 

[MikeDunphy]

So the people that disagree with me agree that the USCCB did make penitential acts on Fridays outside of Lent optional but argue that the USCCB does not have the canonical authority to do so? Am I understanding that correctly?

The USCCB did not make penitential acts on Fridays outside of Lent optional; what it did was permit American Catholics to substitute other penitential observances for the Friday abstinence.

 

[ohioszo]

For those not in a easy family situation to abstain from meat on non-lenten or holy day fridays, what is a good practice?

I have been praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every friday instead. Is that ok?

It is easy for the main meal, if eaten together, 'cept if there is some rebellion in the family of course.

My folks and I were abstaining from meat, for a year perhaps, and Dad began eating meat at lunch. You can’t enforce it, but, one can serve a vegetarian type meal. The folks enjoy the fish or pizza Friday night dinner. Other days of the week, people are fasting on bread and water. So, a person may choose a day to do this, which I have not done.

As to the lobster comment. To each his own. The Lord, probably, will ask you to cut back on the amount, the butter … if you are disposed to listening to Him. I don’t do it, and, I don’t think that the majority do. I do know that food such as lobster are not considered to be the healthiest choice for food, for some people. Provide an alternative to lobster, for one’s family. Still, there is a lot of fish in the store, and the choices are at least between a half dozen. When there are special deals on stuffed salmon, etc., I go for it!

 

[damooster]

It’s not getting heated in here! We just seem to have differences in opinion. I will admit that I see where the confusion is, so I’m going to write to the “higher” ups to get a definitive answer. Not to prove who’s right and who’s wrong, but to get an answer to something that is so confusing.

 

[Zacdecat]

It is every Friday in my little world…good Catholics supporting fish and chipperies everywhere. Oh yes, usually mum’s night off (cooking that is )

 

[Genesius]

It’s not getting heated in here! We just seem to have differences in opinion. I will admit that I see where the confusion is, so I’m going to write to the “higher” ups to get a definitive answer. Not to prove who’s right and who’s wrong, but to get an answer to something that is so confusing.

Thanks for that, damooster. I guess if one just eats fish or abstains from meat on Friday…and seeks to do a charitable act, not for the purpose of rules, but just because it’s the right thing to do any day of the week, then I guess you would be safe either way.

But please do let me know if you get a definitive answer. Thank you.

About the humor…although I believe we should definitely take our faith seriously, I just think sometimes we need a little comic relief, not necessarily because people are getting ‘heated’.

 

[agent_grey]

eat what ever you want when ever you want.

 

[Genesius]

eat what ever you want when ever you want.

I wish it were that simple, agent grey, but if you have been paying attention to all the posts in this thread…