Friday Penance ... mortal sin?

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I’m going to re-awaken this thread to post an excerpt from a primary text on this issue. Pay attention to particular words that I’ve bolded:

USCCB said:
23. Friday should be in each week something of what Lent is in the entire year. For this reason we urge all to prepare for that weekly Easter that comes with each Sunday by freely making of every Friday a day of self-denial and mortification in prayerful remembrance of the passion of Jesus Christ.
  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 of observing Friday, we give first place to abstinence from flesh meat.
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The Bishops used terminology that seems very clearly to me to indicate that penance on Friday is urged but free and voluntary, terms which clearly indicate that it is not obligatory under pain of sin.

The use of the word of “urge” indicates that “making every Friday a day of self-denial and mortification” is not prescribed or commanded, but merely urged or encouraged.

The use of the word “voluntary” reminds me of Paul’s language in Philemon: “Wherefore though I have much confidence in Christ Jesus, to command thee that which is to the purpose…But without thy counsel I would do nothing: that thy good deed might not be as it were of necessity, but voluntary.”

I have yet to see someone who argues otherwise address these particular words in a reasonable fashion.

Jeremy
 
With all due respect to Jimmy Akin, current canon law is based upon Paul VI’s apostolic constitution which stated:

“The days of penitence to be observed under obligation through out the Church are all Fridays … Their substantial observance binds gravely.” (Paul VI, Paenitemini, 17 February, 1966).

Unless the Holy See has determined otherwise, it seems clear that this remains an obligation which binds gravely throughout the universal church. What no longer “binds gravely” in the U.S. is the manner in which this obligatory penance is to be observed. The “substantial observance” of this grave obligation can now be met with other forms of penance.
 
agapewolf said:
Tantum,

I agree that one should seek out facts like this from direct sources such as catechism, and not opinion boards and things,

but I just wanted to add… all mortal sins won’t be listed in the catechism. . . .

One should seek the canon law as stated here, because thats where the rules of penance would be.
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Exactly! I don’t know when this idea started that the Catechism contains everything that one needs to know about Catholicism. Granted, it provides a good overview of things (except for some areas which are clearly influenced by liberal thought), but, as Agape says, it’s not going to list every mortal sin. That is beyond the scope of any catechism. Canon law is indeed where the answer to the penance question would be, and BobP provided the pertinent section. Friday penance (not necessarily abstinence) is binding under pain of mortal sin, as has always been the case.
 
Always best to ask Canon law rather than a web board:

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

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.

Disobedience, AKA pride, is also a sin as Catholics have the duty to show religious respect to all the prudential laws of the Church. (as per Lumen Gentium).
 
Padre4103 said:
Always best to ask Canon law rather than a web board:

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

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.

Disobedience, AKA pride, is also a sin as Catholics have the duty to show religious respect to all the prudential laws of the Church. (as per Lumen Gentium).
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You do know that this thread is 4 1/2 years old, right? And the OP has been banned?

It would be better to start another thread if you want to talk about this topic.
 
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.

This does not state the gravity of obligation. But in pre-Vatican II days, it was a serious obligation.
 
fred_conty said:
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.

This does not state the gravity of obligation. But in pre-Vatican II days, it was a serious obligation.
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Canon 1249 below shows the gravity of the obligation. It states it is an obligation by divine law. That means it is binding on all Catholics.
While the Bishops Conference may decide the type of penance that can be done they cannot remove the Friday penance as an obligation.

DAYS OF PENANCE

Can. 1249** All Christ’s faithful are obliged by divine law**, each in his or her own way, to do penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days the faithful are in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage in works of piety and charity, and to deny themselves, by fulfilling their obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the fast and abstinence which the following canons prescribe.

Can. 1250 The days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

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 Episcopal Conference can determine more particular ways in which fasting and abstinence are to be observed. In place of abstinence or fasting it can substitute, in whole or in part, other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.
 
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