Meatless Fridays throughout the year may return to the United States

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YoungTradCath said:
Speaking of the Sacrament of Penance in his “Address given at the USCCB General Assembly Fall meeting on November 12, 2012,” Timothy Cardinal Dolan says:

See usccb.org/about/leadership/usccb-general-assembly/2012-november-meeting/presidential-address-cardinal-dolan.cfm

I do hope this happens. It is quite difficult for me personally to remember to do Friday penance throughout the year, including during Lent, for two reasons:
  1. In my experience there is no culture of penance. It is relegated to being “that thing we do during Lent” and it is not mentioned from the pulpit at Sunday Mass here. However, it is printed in my parish’s bulletin that we must abstain and fast as required during Lent. I do not think a return to meatless Fridays throughout the year will suddenly solve our problems, but I do think it will remind us of our obligations to do Friday penance and make it much easier to remember since there will only be one way of doing it. I believe there are many Catholics who don’t even know they are required to do a penance every Friday. I think a large part of the success of this, if it happens, will be whether we make it a part of regular parish culture or not. Think Friday fish fries, which are common in some places during Lent. I think making a practice such as this a staple of parish life every Friday or one Friday a month would contribute hugely to the success of a reinstatement of meatless Fridays throughout the year for parishes where something like this is feasible.
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I understand where you are coming from but there is part of me which thinks that if this happens year-round, what will be different, for the average Catholic, about Lent?
  1. In my experience the whys and wherefores of doing penance are not really discussed. I do know why we do it, but it is easy to forget or overlook. This might be a symptom of the expectation that Catholics already know why we do it, I don’t know. Regardless, if this comes to happen, I think the reasons should be regularly discussed and reminders should be frequently given; in the context of the Friday fish fry tradition, someone in the parish could compose a short but powerful prayer appropriate to the theme of penance which could be prayed at every such event. This could also contribute to a strengthening of parish identity.
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Could not proper catechesis take place prior to Lent every year to fix this issue? Is it a function of not having meatless Fridays all year, or poor teaching about what Lent is, and why penance is important? Are the two really joined, or are they separate issues?
What are your thoughts? What would contribute to the success of a return to such a practice? What is your personal experience?
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Since you asked, my thoughts are that you are correct that teaching about penance has not been particularly strong. However, I disagree that going to meatless Fridays all year long will lead to a fix of that particular problem. I do not see a causal relationship here, merely one that shows correlation. The solution, to my mind, is to do a better job of preaching about fasting and abstinence during Mass, during CCD and RCIA, and in the confessional.

In Wisconsin where I used to live, there were fish fries on almost all Fridays throughout the year. During Lent, they were much more celebratory than penitential I can assure you. In Louisiana, it is not uncommon for people to have large crawfish or shrimp boils during Lent on Fridays. Again, this is hardly penance and has become an almost purely social endeavor. So, I come back to what you mentioned above and what I restated. It is the teaching about why, and how, we are to do penance that really needs to improve.

If people come to understand and internalize the spirit of fasting and penance, the forms will probably take care of themselves.
 
Spiritually, it is better that we desire to abstain, than to do so out of mere obedience. The election results show just how secularized the lives of some American Catholics have become. We are called to holiness, but have become worldly. All of that is beginning to change now. I can hear the whining already…
 
Abstaining from meat on Friday reminds me of what Christ did for us on Good Friday. That is really the point, after all. Any mortification is good for the soul. We are to deny ourselves, pick up our personal crosses and follow Him. Denial of our own corporal appetites helps us to grow in holiness. I have continued to abstain from meat on Fridays in recognition of the value of self denial. It’s a small thing, really, but it calls to mind the big thing that Christ did for all of us. I’ve been chastised by many a Catholic for ordering a meatless meal, telling me that I should get with it, that’s the “old thing”. I just smile and remind them that I’m getting to be an old thing, too. And I order a grilled cheese sandwich or a fish dinner.
The Bishops are right to consider reverting back to this practice. Who knows, it could do us all some good. At any rate, as others have pointed out, being Catholic is an honor and a privledge. I’m proud to be a Catholic and enjoy the Catholic culture, too.
 
TrueLight said:
I believe they tried not giving specific instruction before. I’m afraid that did not get us very far.

What we have now are people not even knowing that Fridays are penitential days.
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Did they emphasize to the people that performing some for of sacrifice is obligatory? No, and that is the reason so many Catholics are unaware. Its a matter of a lack of catechesis, not a lack of having a specific action to perform. 🤷
 
Several years back, I was speaking to a young priest on a Friday during Lent. He stated to me that he was going out to dinner that night to have lobster. The priest then asked me what I was having, I said farmers cheese and noodles with onions. Must be nice to have lobster.
 
jwinch2 said:
I understand where you are coming from but there is part of me which thinks that if this happens year-round, what will be different, for the average Catholic, about Lent?
Could not proper catechesis take place prior to Lent every year to fix this issue? Is it a function of not having meatless Fridays all year, or poor teaching about what Lent is, and why penance is important? Are the two really joined, or are they separate issues?
…
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There is one good thing about this, and that is that it is probably meant to function as a cultural marker. We need signs of Catholic identity and this is a pretty good one. It will cull us out like sheep of a different color pretty quickly in most work and social environments. That’s not a bad thing. I think for the first time in a long time, it will start to separate the sheep from the goats.

I think there ought to have to be weekly attendance at something else besides mass every week too, personally. A class &/or a devotional gathering, etc.

I used to be a Protestant and some protestant groups don’t have the margin for error that Catholics have had for decades in this country, when it comes to keeping people engaged & participating in the local community. They use this very strategy by increasing the time spent and commitment that people have to demonstrate, in order to stay involved in the local community with all the perks that brings. (aka social belonging, ministry positions, free items, stuff for your kids etc) It may sound odd to Catholics, but it works incredibly well and keeps people Christian and coming to Church with their kids.

Many protestants use Wednesday night prayer as this sort of cultural marker. Some also use attendance at worship both morning and evening on Sundays. Some use bible study classes or other indicators. All of these serve BOTH as 1) cultural indicators of identity and belonging, and as 2) benefits for members.

PS. Protestants don’t threaten each other with sin over showing up on Wednesday nights. It’s just very well understood that if you can’t bother to show up and participate, then you’re a lightweight and you’d ought to do better. You’ll get nicely invited over and over, until you start to show up, and then you’ll get a show of approval. That really does work with people when it’s done very matter-of-factly, which is exactly how it’s usually done. It’s kind of like clicker training. :D:D:D
 
jwinch2 said:
I understand where you are coming from but there is part of me which thinks that if this happens year-round, what will be different, for the average Catholic, about Lent?
Could not proper catechesis take place prior to Lent every year to fix this issue? Is it a function of not having meatless Fridays all year, or poor teaching about what Lent is, and why penance is important? Are the two really joined, or are they separate issues?

Since you asked, my thoughts are that you are correct that teaching about penance has not been particularly strong. However, I disagree that going to meatless Fridays all year long will lead to a fix of that particular problem. I do not see a causal relationship here, merely one that shows correlation. The solution, to my mind, is to do a better job of preaching about fasting and abstinence during Mass, during CCD and RCIA, and in the confessional.

In Wisconsin where I used to live, there were fish fries on almost all Fridays throughout the year. During Lent, they were much more celebratory than penitential I can assure you. In Louisiana, it is not uncommon for people to have large crawfish or shrimp boils during Lent on Fridays. Again, this is hardly penance and has become an almost purely social endeavor. So, I come back to what you mentioned above and what I restated. It is the teaching about why, and how, we are to do penance that really needs to improve.

If people come to understand and internalize the spirit of fasting and penance, the forms will probably take care of themselves.
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You misunderstand my view. I did not explain entirely.

I am not of the mind that reintroducing meatless Fridays through the year would totally solve our problems regarding doing penance, or our problems at large. Rather, this is part of the puzzle, as I see it. Of course this has to be accompanied by manifold, ongoing catecheses and examples of holy men and women. I do not pretend that restoring this or that liturgical practice or this or that traditional aspect of Catholic discipline will change the world. But I believe that, collectively, a gradual restoration of things which were perhaps too easily and quickly given up which (not always perfectly or as well as we would like, granted) supported the Faith in the past, combined with a gradual increase in conversion of heart and an increase in the quality of catechesis, will lead to a more effective New Evangelization, for example.

My point is that this is a piece of the solution, not the total solution nor the most important. Lots of us here have ideas as to improve this or that thing. One of the most common objections is, “Yes, but that is so small, that will not restore the Faith, blahhhhh blah.” I think this shows a tendency toward cynicism, and this is only partially correct. By itself, this or that will not restore the Faith, no. But collectively–and only inasmuch as they are consciously connected to Christ–they can have a sizable impact.
 
centurionguard said:
Sounds interesting Thanks. I’ve eaten only once flavored.

It does have high protein.

Tofu has a low calorie count, relatively large amounts of protein, and little fat. It is high in iron and, depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, may also be high in calcium and/or magnesium.
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Yes, and plain tofu tastes like a very soft plastic sponge, so it is definitely penitential. 🙂

Maybe I’ll take it up during the Fridays in Lent. 🙂

That is the one problem for me with abstaining from meat on Fridays during the whole year (which I do now). You want to think of something more to do during Lent that is more penitential.

Like others, I never heard about the penitential requirement for Fridays until I was an adult (after I came back to the Church). I do find it a sacrifice not to eat meat on Fridays because I don’t really like fish and I hate shellfish. If you (and I mean this in the generic sense–I’m not referring to centurionguard here) don’t find it a sacrifice, then there is absolutely nothing preventing you from choosing to do something else as well.

So here’s my overall analysis:

Pros:
  • It is a specific requirement, so it is less likely to be ignored in catechesis.
  • Restoring the specific requirement becomes a teaching moment (e.g. in homilies) about the necessity of penance every Friday that there has always been.
  • It promotes a sense of unity among Catholics, and you may find that in the future, people who have fallen away from the Church will still be in the habit of doing this, which makes something to help them find their way back.
  • It makes it easier to know that you are actually fulfilling the requirement. There’s none of this, “gee is this enough of a penance, or not?” Plus of course if you are a vegetarian or eat a lot of fish anyway, you have full latitude to choose to do something else as well.
  • We’ve tried not being specific, and frankly it didn’t work. It’s a lot easier to teach about a specific requirement than something like “On Fridays you have to do some penitential act. You get to decide what is penitential.” The reason lots of people don’t know about it is that it is so vague that it’s hard to know how to teach it that won’t bring back 100 questions about what is penitential enough, which is entirely the wrong spirit and the wrong thing to concentrate on.
Cons:
  • It detracts from the “specialness” of Lent.
  • It can become purely habitual. (This is an important concern, although so can any other penance chosen.)
Issues that don’t relate either pro or con:
  • “People who don’t go to Mass may not abstain on Fridays anyway.” Unless the argument is “The less rules there are, the less rules people break when they don’t care about the rules, and so they have fewer sins on their conscience” I’m not sure what the point is. And if that is the argument, well, their biggest sin is not practicing their faith. Failing to abstain is not really going to make a big difference.
  • “People don’t like change.” Well, if people really don’t like change, they would still be avoiding meat on Fridays from when it changed last time. But people get used to things. And if they don’t like it, it is a greater occasion of grace for them as it is more penitential.
  • “Some people like meatless meals as well or better than ones with meat.” Well, as I said above, they can choose to do something in addition. But the thing is they will have to remember the Lord on Fridays when planning meals and eating them. It’s not a big enough hardship for anyone that obstaining itself is going to be a really huge deal. What it does is remind you at every meal on Friday that Christ died for us on this day.
  • “The times before Vatican II weren’t all that.” Probably not, but you will notice that none of my points above relate to the “good times” before I was born. The fact that it was done before may not be a reason to do it now, but it certainly isn’t a reason not to do it now.
I’ve thought about this a bit. 🙂 But I understand that others will disagree. I bet we can all agree on the following:

May God guide the bishops to make the decision on this issue that is in line with God’s will. Amen.

–Jen
 
thewanderer said:
Did they emphasize to the people that performing some for of sacrifice is obligatory? No, and that is the reason so many Catholics are unaware. Its a matter of a lack of catechesis, not a lack of having a specific action to perform. 🤷
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For some it may be a lack of Catechesis. But for those indoctrinated within the Church, the spiritual motivation for abstinence should always be disposed in practice within. Its not always a matter of the Church having to nursemaid one through this inclination. The practice of Self-Discipline goes a long way.
 
revert_jen said:
*] “People who don’t go to Mass may not abstain on Fridays anyway.” …

–Jen
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Absolutely correct. And this one thing will make an very efficient marker between Catholic and CINO. And it’s public because friends, co-workers and family are going to see it as plain as day.

It’s an unmistakeable sign, or it would be if the USCCB decides to do it, once the USCCB splashes all over the their statements, the internet, the news etc. This would not a bad thing for all the reasons you cite…and more.
 
I thought it never left. 🤷 I remember the EWTN commercial saying that technically we never stopped going meatless on Fridays unless we perform an act of charity.
 
CatholicFireman said:
I thought it never left. 🤷 I remember the EWTN commercial saying that technically we never stopped going meatless on Fridays unless we perform an act of charity.
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true, but since there is the exception there, there is now no strict obligation to do it. If the exception was removed, it could be very clear: if you eat meat, it’s a sin (barring age restrictions and health needs).
 
CatholicFireman said:
I thought it never left. 🤷 I remember the EWTN commercial saying that technically we never stopped going meatless on Fridays unless we perform an act of charity.
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People have ignored it since the specific instruction about the sinfulness of eating meat on Friday was dropped after Vatican II. They simply stopped taking it seriously. My guess is that if they re-institute it, a certain large lukewarm percentage will still not take it seriously, just like they don’t take lenten fasting seriously. This is collateral damage from the way these laws were changed and then announced after Vatican II.

You can’t leave it up to people to choose a penance the way they did after VII. Why? Because absolutely nothing happens. Anytime people don’t know what to do, they don’t do anything. Or they just hang around waiting for someone to do something, OR for something to happen – until they think no one is really paying attention – and they wander off and do what they want. That’s how people work. I’m always surprised when people who are SUPPOSED to be in charge don’t comprehend these basic facts about how people really work socially & cognitively.
 
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