Meat on Friday after Thanksgiving?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eliza10
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Eating turkey two days in a row should be penance enough (having had to eat over done, dried out turkey for too many Thanksgiving dinners).
 
OP if you really feed so strongly? it is not vital to eat protein every day like that. I certainly do not. Can you not simply eat the vegetables? You seem to be going to feel bad whatever else you do.
 
pensmama87 said:
If you want to stick with no meat, there’s also PBJ, grilled cheese, or something else simple. You don’t have to have fish, or cook anything elaborate, or even cook at all. :confused:

But you also aren’t obliged to abstain, and there have been some great suggestions here so far.
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The idea of “fish Fridays” is interesting because as you say there’s no reason why you have to substitute meat for fish. The tradition is to abstain from meat.
As it happens, our Eastern brethren also abstain from fish, eggs, and dairy - not just meat - and they do so every Wednesday and Friday, plus during four distinct fasting seasons (Lent being one) throughout the year as per the ancient Christian practice. I have relatives who are Orthodox and I envy their resolve and discipline. My Uncle is quite good at whipping up veggie burgers on the BBQ during fast days.
 
YiSan said:
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not trolling. Nor am I being negative towards the Catholic faith in any way. I am a 58 year old American non Catholic (I am currently attending RCIA). My problem is that I think that ALL Catholics should follow the same set of rules/guidelines. I understand that Canon 1251 states that members of the Catholic Church are to abstain from meat on Fridays (or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops). I also understand that the U.S. Bishops Conference obtained permission of the Holy See for Catholics in the US to substitute a penitential or charitable act of their choosing.

This actually bothers me that ALL Catholics are not bound by the same set of rules. By allowing this “exception” for us Americans, it kind of sets a frightening precedent for other exceptions. The Eucharist for divorced and remarried Catholics or same sex marriages (those who do not abstain from sex) could end up being “exceptions” too. Where do we (as Catholics) stop and why should American Catholics get preferential treatment?

Like I said, I am not trying to argue or disrespectful to the Catholic Church. I just don’t understand this bending of rules just for us…
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There is a difference between Dogma(cannot change), doctrine( can be changed by a universal synode of bishops) and discipline( can be changed by a regional synode of bishops).

A good example is feast days of saints, we have several saints that share the same date on the calendar, but not all are celebrated around the world. Only the saints which have the most local prominence will be celebrated, so two parishes on the German, French border may celebrate different saints on the same day.

Solemnities on the other hand can only be changed from Rome.

The things you mentioned like eucharist for divorced and same sex marriages are dogmatically forbidden, and cannot change unless Christ returns in the flesh and tells us otherwise.
 
Listener said:
This is nuts. There is no requirement to abstain from meat on Friday in the USA, except for during lent. Just tell your husband that he is free to go out and buy some fish and cook it himself, but you have decided to have leftover turkey for you and the guests.
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This is a traditional Catholic subforum, I assume most here are trying to keep to the praxis from before 1962, so it is not that silly a question.
 
This looks less like scrupulous behavior and more like attention seeking behavior.
 
Omaestre said:
This is a traditional Catholic subforum, I assume most here are trying to keep to the praxis from before 1962, so it is not that silly a question.
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Except that as pointed out earlier in this thread, the indult to eat meat on the Friday after Thanksgiving dates from the 1950’s, having been granted by Pope Pius XII.
 
YiSan said:
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not trolling. Nor am I being negative towards the Catholic faith in any way. I am a 58 year old American non Catholic (I am currently attending RCIA). My problem is that I think that ALL Catholics should follow the same set of rules/guidelines. I understand that Canon 1251 states that members of the Catholic Church are to abstain from meat on Fridays (or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops). I also understand that the U.S. Bishops Conference obtained permission of the Holy See for Catholics in the US to substitute a penitential or charitable act of their choosing.

This actually bothers me that ALL Catholics are not bound by the same set of rules. By allowing this “exception” for us Americans, it kind of sets a frightening precedent for other exceptions. The Eucharist for divorced and remarried Catholics or same sex marriages (those who do not abstain from sex) could end up being “exceptions” too. Where do we (as Catholics) stop and why should American Catholics get preferential treatment?

Like I said, I am not trying to argue or disrespectful to the Catholic Church. I just don’t understand this bending of rules just for us…
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There are two categories to consider: faith and morals, and Church laws. The Church laws may change based upon the bishop or conference of bishops. That is why in some places the holy days of obligation are different. Also canon laws may be dispensed for particular situations. Also each of the Catholic sui iuris churches potentially has it’s own church laws for its ascribed members.
 
Eliza10 said:
My husband (of 2 1/2 years) was long in the habit of no meat on Fridays. I did sometimes but with no “support” for this habit it was not consistent. I’ve been Catholic since 2000 but as a single Mom, a busy life, I never made that habit stick.

Its still a discipline, we both understand. So my husband and I keep this pretty faithfully now.

I am serving the Turkey dinner this Thursday, with the stuffing, the gravy, etc! And we have overnight guests who do not practice this. The idea of putting together a separate fish dinner on Friday after all that work when I have leftovers to serve (plus, on Saturday I want to cook my visiting son’s favorite meal) just feels like too much to me. I want Friday to be leftover day…

My husband just commented on how bishops used to give dispensation for meat on this Friday after Thanksgiving, but he joked that an occasional bishop was a “stinker” and did not allow it for their diocese.

I want to do the right thing, but I would rather just eat what I make for my guests that day. Protein is an important part of my diet, so eating just eating leftover veggies that day and avoiding the protein does not seem like a very festive thing to do while entertaining for the weekend. What do you think?

I get the idea bishops have nothing to say about meat on Friday any more, so while I would not know where to look for a local official ruling, I also think there might not be one anyway.)
My husband says he would not ask this on a forum for fear of showing off as being too scrupulous. Yeah, I do not want to be too scrupulous, its generally not a problem! However, I want some thoughts! DH reminds me of this poem:
  • “No egg on Friday Alf will eat, but drunken he will be. Oh what a fine religious man is he!”*
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THANKS for asking:)

Let THEM eat the meat if they choose WHILE you and HUBBY abstain:thumbsup:

Be ready to explain why WE do this [with a smile:D]

This my friend creates a TEACHING moment!

God Bless you !
 
dans0622 said:
I’ve heard of this “indult”, and don’t really have a problem believing that it was granted, but have never seen the actual text.

Dan
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It’s also irrelevant, since the discipline no longer applies.

It’s praiseworthy to keep the old penances, such as meatless Fridays.

But just because one voluntarily keeps it does not mean he/she automatically incurs sin if one eats meat on any given Friday. Since any observance of this penance is voluntary, it is also voluntary to simply set it aside for yourself at any time.

So I throw in my bafflement with the other posters. WHY this question even has to be asked is puzzling. There is no law binding Latin Catholics in the U.S. to meatless Fridays in Ordinary Time. That should be it. No one should have to refer to some phantom indult that (even if it exists) has absolutely no bearing today. What is relevant are the laws in force TODAY, whether you deem yourself “Traditional” or not.
 
For reference, here is the universal Law. Obviously the US bishops have utilized canon 1253. I think a canon lawyer would be able to tell us exactly what effect that has in terms of modifying the universal law.
Days of Penance
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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.
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Can. 1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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