Sinful to eat meat?

[shaun23]

Hello All:

Hypothetical: Is it sinful to eat meat on Good Friday? If so to what degree (venial or mortal)?

Here’s the scenario:

If you were at a non-Catholic’s house for dinner and they were serving say meatloaf for dinner, would you be committing a sin to eat the meat that they served? (I know, not very likely) But what if you found yourself in this situation, I know that you could discuss the arrangement before accepting the invitation, but lets just say you couldn’t for whatever reason.

 

[Ron_Conte]

Generally, it would be a venial sin to eat meat on Good Friday.

Those sins alone are mortal which are entirely incompatible with the love of God and neighbor.

 

[jmcrae]

Hello All:

Hypothetical: Is it sinful to eat meat on Good Friday? If so to what degree (venial or mortal)?

Here’s the scenario:

If you were at a non-Catholic’s house for dinner and they were serving say meatloaf for dinner, would you be committing a sin to eat the meat that they served? (I know, not very likely) But what if you found yourself in this situation, I know that you could discuss the arrangement before accepting the invitation, but lets just say you couldn’t for whatever reason.

The law of charity supersedes the discipline of fasting and abstinence. If someone sets a meal before you, which they have worked hard to make, and either they didn’t know you were Catholic or they forgot that it was Good Friday, then you say “Thank you” and you eat it, even if it is meatloaf, on Good Friday or any other Friday of the year. You do this even if you don’t particularly like to eat meatloaf, no matter what day of the week or year it is.

However, barring such a situation (which as you rightly point out is unlikely to occur) we are to fast and to abstain from meat on Good Friday. It is a mortal sin to deliberately disobey the authority of the Church. If you forget what day it is, that’s different.

 

[Moscati]

Surely, if someone was making dinner, they would serve more than just meatloaf? This has happened to me once or twice on Lenten Fridays, and I just made a meal out of whatever else was being served. If people ask why you aren’t eating the meat (which isn’t really good table manners, IMO), just tell them, and assure your host that you’ve got plenty to eat and there’s no need to worry about it.

If they served ONLY meat, that wouldn’t be much of a meal.

 

[Bookcat]

Hello All:

Hypothetical: Is it sinful to eat meat on Good Friday? If so to what degree (venial or mortal)?

Here’s the scenario:

If you were at a non-Catholic’s house for dinner and they were serving say meatloaf for dinner, would you be committing a sin to eat the meat that they served? (I know, not very likely) But what if you found yourself in this situation, I know that you could discuss the arrangement before accepting the invitation, but lets just say you couldn’t for whatever reason.

One should not eat the meat on Good Friday…just lovingly decline and enjoy the coffee and conversation …

 

[rpp]

I believe the requirement to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, as well as to fast on those days (there are some exceptions for the very young, old and those with medical conditions) is actually a grave responsibility. Being grave matter, willfully violating this would be a mortal sin.

 

[kage_ar]

Dinner parties on Good Friday seem a bit odd anyway. Tell them you will join them another day.

 

[stuart12]

It is grave matter to eat meat with full knowledge on Good Friday. If you are invited to a dinner party on Good Friday, you have an obligation to decline. The Sacred Triduum should be spent in prayer and fasting, nut having a ‘jolly up’.

 

[Bookcat]

Regarding Penitential days *Their substantial observance binds gravely

• as per PAENITEMINI of Pope Paul VI

Only “substantial” failure to observe them would be grave matter and thus could be mortally sinful if the other aspects are met. Which does not seem to mean a single instance…but rather a notable part…

 

[shaun23]

Dinner parties on Good Friday seem a bit odd anyway. Tell them you will join them another day.

I agree, but I thought I would play Devil’s Advocate for a while. I think I might decline the meatloaf anyway. No, I’m only joking, I wouldn’t be so rude.

 

[Rence]

I would not go out to eat at a friends house on Good Friday to begin with. However, if it was something I was required to do, I absolutely would not be rude to my host. I would either do something else instead (like say an extra rosary for example), or abstain another day, especially if they didn’t know you weren’t supposed to eat meat.

If they DID know and made it anyway, then I would make a meal out of the non-meat dishes that were made.