"Full" abstinence?

[Timidity]

I notice on my freebie calendar from my parish that Today, the Fridays of Lent, and Good Friday are days of “full abstinence”.

Fair enough.

Is there such a thing as “partial abstinence”? Why do they put the word “full” on the calendar? I figure it has to be for some reason that I just don’t know.

And who knows better then the friendly CA forum members?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Timidity:

I notice on my freebie calendar from my parish that Today, the Fridays of Lent, and Good Friday are days of “full abstinence”.

Fair enough.

Is there such a thing as “partial abstinence”? Why do they put the word “full” on the calendar? I figure it has to be for some reason that I just don’t know.

And who knows better then the friendly CA forum members?

Thanks in advance!

Here’s a guess.

Maybe the word “full” is being used to differentiate it from Fridays during the rest of the year.

As we know (or should know), Fridays are always days of abstinence but instead of abstaining from meat one may substitute some other form of penance instead.

That is not so during Lent.

But again, just a guess.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Sometime in the 50’s and 60’s, when they were reducing the days of abstinence, some days, which had been days of full abstinence, were made Days of Partial Abstinence. I think they were primarily the Wednesdays of Lent, but may have included some days before Solemnities - e.g. Christmas Eve. On these days meat could be eaten only once a day - at the main meal.

I think they vanished in the 70’s.