Fridays in Lent?

[Le_Cracquere]

When I was growing up, my family’s church didn’t have Lent, and I’m currently trying to do it halfway properly. Now, the Catholic calendar I’ve gotten hold of specifies Fridays during Lent as days of abstinence … but I was under the impression that all Fridays, throughout the year, were days of abstinence for Catholics. Long story short: is there a practical difference in observation between Fridays in Lent, and all the other Fridays?

 

[PaulfromIowa]

All Fridays are days of penance. The form of penance can be prescribed by the local conference of bishops. The US Bishops prescribe abstinence from meat on Lenten Fridays.

vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P4O.HTM

Days of Penance

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.

Can. 1251 Abstinence from eating meat or some other food according to the prescripts of the conference of bishops is to be observed on ,of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year of age. The law of fasting, however, binds all those who have attained their majority until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Nevertheless, pastors of souls and parents are to take care that minors not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are also educated in a genuine sense 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.

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstinence.cfm
US Bishops: "Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence "

 

[jmcrae]

When I was growing up, my family’s church didn’t have Lent, and I’m currently trying to do it halfway properly. Now, the Catholic calendar I’ve gotten hold of specifies Fridays during Lent as days of abstinence … but I was under the impression that all Fridays, throughout the year, were days of abstinence for Catholics. Long story short: is there a practical difference in observation between Fridays in Lent, and all the other Fridays?

In the United States, all of the Fridays in Lent are days of abstinence from meat. Outside of Lent, you have the option of substituting another penance in place of abstinence from meat.

 

[Mary_Estelle]

Only is rare circumstances is Friday not a day of abstinence. However, the aged and those in ill health may be exempt. The very poor who have nothing to eat but a meat or meat by-product may also be exempt…it is best to ask your priest or instructor. Peace.

 

[pensmama87]

Your location says South Carolina, so you would follow the US bishops on this. Traditionally, Catholics were required to abstain from meat every Friday (except solemnities - basically, major celebrations on the liturgical calendar). The requirement right not is only abstinence on Fridays of Lent, with the possibility of some other penance the rest of the year. You can be stricter if you wish - we generally abstain year round and we live in the US, too.