Friday abstinance

[Aeden]

So I know that we are no longer required to fast from meat on Fridays, but here’s my question: are we required to do something else as penance or is it just a removal of the Friday penitential duty?

In AAA, a priest said we may substitute something (forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=795978&highlight=friday+penance), but the conference of Bishops says here (usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-resources/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstinence.cfm) that they just recommend, commend, etc. Is it like U.N. documents where that’s just code for “do it” or is it actually just a suggestion?

 

[Sirach2]

There was a closed thread here just a short while ago in this subsection of CA.

I would suggest avoiding a new topic, since the closed one generated a lot of controversy.

Basically, penance is encouraged if one prefers not to abstain from meat on Fridays outside of Lent, but it is **not **binding under pain of sin.