Friday Abstinence

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AveMaria12

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Is it a sin not to perform some form of penance on Friday. I’ve heard some people say that it is, but other sources say otherwise.
 
Yes. It’s actually a grave sin. I didn’t know that until my confessor informed me. I also didn’t know we are required to do some sort of penance every day in Lent under punishment of grave sin.
 
Yes, we are required to do some form of penance on every Friday. In the US, we are only *required *to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent. If we decide not to abstain on other Fridays we must do some other form of penance instead.

In other countries the rules are slightly different. In the UK, for example, the bishops recently reinstated Friday abstinance year-round.
 
The Book Catholicism for dummies says that it’s optional. I found that quite strange.

Also, does anyone know what the requirements are in Vietnam? Thanks everyone!
 
I feel like abstinence from meat on Fridays is a great start for catholics. It is something that could be universal, but I have found that not many catholics even know the meaning behind it. Many catholics (myself included up until 2 years ago) don’t know that abstaining from meat any time other than lent is even a thing.
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
Yes. It’s actually a grave sin. I didn’t know that until my confessor informed me. I also didn’t know we are required to do some sort of penance every day in Lent under punishment of grave sin.
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What?! Seriously? Can you tell me where to find this information? I have been Catholic for two years and I have never been told this. 😦
 
Yeah, I’ve got to say that that sounds quite suspicious actually… I grew up quite well catechized and I trust my mother to have told me something like that if it was actually a requirement, she was quite traditional, do you have a source for that? (The penance every day during lent thing, not the friday penance, I’m well aware of that)
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
Yes. It’s actually a grave sin. I didn’t know that until my confessor informed me. I also didn’t know we are required to do some sort of penance every day in Lent under punishment of grave sin.
Click to expand...
This is only partially correct.

Church law has this to say about penitential days and times:

Can.* 1249 The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence, according to the norm of the following canons.

Can.* 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

So you are correct insofar as the fact that the Church sets aside certain days and time as penitential in nature and Lent is such a time and Friday are such days.

However, where you go wrong is in your statement regarding a requirement to do penance every day in Lent under pain of mortal sin. This is simply not correct.

What the law actually binds is only speaking of fast and abstinence on certain days, as determined by the Episcopal Conference. Also many ECs have stated that failure to abide by the fasting and abstinence requirements does NOT constitute grave matter. IOW, the bishops in many areas hav relaxed the law as is in their authority to do so. What the universal law says:

Can.* 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.

Can.* 1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

Can.* 1253 The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.

The penitential nature of Lent is expressed in the Liturgy, the RCIA Scrutinies, Communal Penance and Individual Confession, retreats, personal devotions, and prayer. There is no law binding Catholic to do penance every day during Lent and certainly not with any grave sin attached to the failure to do so. Making a retreat, attending penance service, doing spiritual reading, prayer, works, “giving up something”, etc, are all commendable but not binding by Law.
 
1ke said:
This is only partially correct.

Church law has this to say about penitential days and times:

Can.* 1249 The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence, according to the norm of the following canons.

Can.* 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

So you are correct insofar as the fact that the Church sets aside certain days and time as penitential in nature and Lent is such a time and Friday are such days.

However, where you go wrong is in your statement regarding a requirement to do penance every day in Lent under pain of mortal sin. This is simply not correct.

What the law actually binds is only speaking of fast and abstinence on certain days, as determined by the Episcopal Conference. Also many ECs have stated that failure to abide by the fasting and abstinence requirements does NOT constitute grave matter. IOW, the bishops in many areas hav relaxed the law as is in their authority to do so. What the universal law says:

Can.* 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.

Can.* 1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

Can.* 1253 The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.

The penitential nature of Lent is expressed in the Liturgy, the RCIA Scrutinies, Communal Penance and Individual Confession, retreats, personal devotions, and prayer. There is no law binding Catholic to do penance every day during Lent and certainly not with any grave sin attached to the failure to do so. Making a retreat, attending penance service, doing spiritual reading, prayer, works, “giving up something”, etc, are all commendable but not binding by Law.
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But, just to clarify, is this regarding every day of the year or just in Lent. I’ve heard several points, but all agree on this one thing: all Fridays are penitential. So is it sinful not to perform a type of penance on Fridays?
 
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=672696&page=2

Roman Ordo says Abstinence on All Fridays
In the United States, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has declared that “the age of fasting is from the completion of the eighteenth year to the beginning of the sixtieth.” The USCCB also allows the substitution of some other form of penance for abstinence on all of the Fridays of the year, except for those Fridays in Lent. Thus, the rules for fasting and abstinence in the United States are:

Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent.

Every person between the age of 18 and 60 must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on all other Fridays of the year, unless he or she substitutes some other form of penance for abstinence.

Abstaining from meat is the easiest form of penance for most people, as you can see the rules did not change, unless you do some form of sincere penance you ARE to abstain from meat.
 
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