(USA)Is friday penance required?

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Good penitential ideas posted by SuscipeMeDomine and Phemie. But I’m thinking that the average Catholic pewsitter did not pull out the list on Thursday and say, “okay, which one are we going to do this Friday? I know–how about we abstain from the Internet?”

Kids: “No–not that one!”

Dad: “Okay, we’ll say an Our Father on Friday evening.”

That’s true if it’s a one-time thing where you have to decide what it is you’re going to do. It’s different if it’s more the culture of the family or part of the overall behavior of an individual.

I abstain from meat on Fridays year round. It’s not something I have to think about in terms of “what am I going to do tomorrow?” It’s simply who I am and what I do so it’s no big deal. It requires a bit of planning – for example, if I’m going out to dinner on a Friday it’s not going to be at Meats R Us Restaurant – but it’s pretty straightforward.

In terms of the Internet, what if it was the family’s custom to take an electronic sabbath every Sunday? It wouldn’t be something to figure out from week to week, but simply a case of this is what this particular family does. Yes, various members of the family might find it difficult, but assuming the parents could explain why they had made this decision, it would be part of the family culture.

I have to admit that trying to determine what the penance should be from week to week seems kind of wonky to me. “Well, let’s see…tomorrow there’s that barbecue and I want to be able to eat steak so I’ll say an Our Father instead” or “This week the budget is kind of tight so I’ll skip the meat and save some money.”

 

[Vico]

It sure sounds as though the USCCB might have benefited by more clarity in its statement. It could have said something like: “The obligation to do penance on all Fridays of the year remains a grave obligation. To meet this obligation, Catholics may continue the practice of Friday abstinence from meat, or they may substitute another penance of their own choosing.”

I’m afraid that what happened in actual practice is that most Catholics simply took away the message that Friday abstinence from meat was no longer binding under pain of sin, except on Fridays of Lent. So, many if not most of them simply dropped the practice, without putting anything in its place.

My wife, being a practical person, simply did not change her—and our—practice at all. We just kept up the Friday abstinence. (After all, who wants to try to think up an alternate penance?) But a great many didn’t, and they didn’t think that they were doing anything wrong in treating Fridays just like any other day of the year.

It followed then from Paenitemini (Feburary 17, 1966) of Pope Paul VI:The following, however is established:
In the first place, Holy Mother Church, although it has always observed in a special way abstinence from meat and fasting, nevertheless wants to indicate in the traditional triad of “prayer—fasting—charity” the fundamental means of complying with the divine precepts of penitence. These means were the same throughout the centuries, but in our time there are special reasons whereby, according to the demands of various localities, it is necessary to inculcate some special form of penitence in preference to others.(60) Therefore, where economic well-being is greater, so much more will the witness of asceticism have to be given in order that the sons of the Church may not be involved in the spirit of the “world,”(61) and at the same time the witness of charity will have to be given to the brethren who suffer poverty and hunger beyond any barrier of nation or continent.(62) On the other hand, in countries where the standard of living is lower, it will be more pleasing to God the Father and more useful to the members of the Body of Christ if Christians—while they seek in every way to promote better social justice—offer their suffering in prayer to the Lord in close union with the Cross of Christ.
w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini.html

And after that were given specifics.

 

[FrDavid96]

To provide more context:

I’m sorry, Father, but the language in this document in no way “CLEARLY INDICATES” that the Bishops were mandating some form of penance on Fridays; and this is precisely why there is such a debate on this issue.

While you may be quite right in your interpretation of the Bishops intentions, I think it terribly unfair to frame all of this as if it were as obvious as you assert. I don’t think it would be utterly ridiculous to interpret the above as either the Bishops commanding something of the faithful in understated language, or in communicating that Friday penance is no longer binding under law, but rather is to be done only freely at their urging.

First off, let’s all remember that this is a discussion, not an argument (in the sense of confrontational), so I’m not trying to go backwards and bring up your post just to contradict what you wrote earlier. Please understand that.

My point here is that the position often taken is that “the bishops did not specifically mention alternatives, therefore the Friday penance is now optional.” I hope that’s a fair way of re-phrasing things, and of course that’s not the only point made either. What we must keep in mind though is that the code of canon law itself mandates some kind of penance on Fridays. So, in order for the penance to become optional, something must happen to change the law—in other words, the bishops must actively and clearly abrogate the obligation to do penance, otherwise it remains. That’s different than saying that the bishops must articulate a form of penance otherwise the obligation doesn’t exist.

–the obligation exists unless the bishops remove it (or make it optional).
—not: the obligation exists only if the bishops mandate something

Side note:
As we all know, we’re dealing with a 1966 document and applying it under the 1983 code. However, since Rome has already decided that the document is in harmony with the 83 code, in the end the effect is the same as if the 1966 document were actually dated after the 83 code took effect. I’m talking practical application here.

 

[Bookcat]

Dear FrDavid96,

I apologize for contributing to the confusion on this point. I was unaware of the quick question on this site.

It reflects my former view, which was based on what I initially heard everyone saying, from before I studied the issue closely.

When I did study the issue closely, I discovered that what you commonly hear on this issue is mistaken (innocently, of course).

A careful reading of the particular law of the United States indicates that, while Fridays remain days of penance, outside of Lent it is not mandated that the faithful perform an individual act of penance.

The U.S. bishops terminated the abstinence requirement and did not put anything (even “choose your own penance”) in its place.

The links that Bookcat has been providing document the results of my research into this subject.

Thank you to the person who made me aware of the quick question. I have asked that it be taken offline until I can fix it.

God bless everyone, and have a blessed Triduum and Easter season!

Not to stir up further discussion - I am not planning on anything further. But just to bump Jimmy Akins response back up so that it is not lost in the thread.

A blessed Easter to all!

 

[Ilovejesus1234]

USCCB

23: Friday should be in each week something of what Lent is in the entire year. For this reason we urge all to prepare for that weekly Easter that comes with each Sunday by **freely **making of every Friday a day of self-denial and mortification in prayerful remembrance of the passion of Jesus Christ.

24: Among the works of **voluntary self-denial and personal penance **which we especially commend to our people for the future observance of Friday, even though we hereby terminate the traditional law of abstinence binding under pain of sin, as the sole prescribed means of observing Friday, we give first place to abstinence from flesh meat.We do so in the hope that the Catholic community will ordinarily continue to abstain from meat by free choice as formerly we did in obedience to Church law. Our expectation is based on the following considerations.

This shows that it is clearly optional while canon law shows something else, that is mainly out of the water.

**
CANON LAW 1249-1253**

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 meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference**
(I wanted to note that this shows the lack of info directed towards to what power the bishops have, it never says in the canon law that they can take away abstinence completely, only substitute it mainly, showing this includes that it is hard to say that penance is required on Fridays. Due to the unclearness of the vatican, anyway moving on…),
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.

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.

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.(This I can clearly now see that nowhere does it say bishops have the power to take away penance completely, though the USCCB says differently, what did jimmy say again in his article by the way?)

Also: FrDavid, are you a priest? The authority you have as a priest may help influence by decision. Thank you

 

[Vico]

…
This shows that it is clearly optional while canon law shows something else, that is mainly out of the water.
…

You missed this in the USCCB (1966 statement):
28. In summary, let it not be said that by this action, implementing the spirit of renewal coming out of the Council, we have abolished Friday, repudiated the holy traditions of our fathers, or diminished the insistence of the Church on the fact of sin and the need for penance.

 

[Elizium23]

You missed this in the USCCB (1966 statement):
28. In summary, let it not be said that by this action, implementing the spirit of renewal coming out of the Council, we have abolished Friday, repudiated the holy traditions of our fathers, or diminished the insistence of the Church on the fact of sin and the need for penance.

And yet, exactly that WAS said, by practically every Catholic, that Vatican II abolished Friday penances and we didn’t have to do anything anymore.

 

[Ilovejesus1234]

1. In summary, let it not be said that by this action, implementing the spirit of renewal coming out of the Council, we have abolished Friday,** repudiated the holy traditions of our fathers, or diminished the insistence of the Church on the fact of sin and the need for penance**. Rather, let it be proved by the spirit in which we enter upon prayer and penance, not excluding fast and abstinence freely chosen, that these present decisions and recommendations of this conference of bishops will herald a new birth of loving faith and more profound penitential conversion, by both of which we become one with Christ, mature sons of God, and servants of God’s people.N.B.

So wait does the bishops, in bold say we don’t have to do it?

 

[Ilovejesus1234]

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.

As included above though…they are never really authorized to, if what you guys say in the usccb is true(about penance being gone on fridays)

 

[Vico]

1. In summary, let it not be said that by this action, implementing the spirit of renewal coming out of the Council, we have abolished Friday,** repudiated the holy traditions of our fathers, or diminished the insistence of the Church on the fact of sin and the need for penance**. Rather, let it be proved by the spirit in which we enter upon prayer and penance, not excluding fast and abstinence freely chosen, that these present decisions and recommendations of this conference of bishops will herald a new birth of loving faith and more profound penitential conversion, by both of which we become one with Christ, mature sons of God, and servants of God’s people.N.B.

So wait does the bishops, in bold say we don’t have to do it?

The bishops said they have not

• abolished Friday,
• repudiated the holy traditions of our fathers, or
• diminished the insistence of the Church on the fact of sin and the need for penance.

Abolished means* put an end to.
Repudiated* means abandoned or given up.

“Rather, let it be proved by the spirit in which we enter upon prayer and penance, not excluding fast and abstinence freely chosen…”

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

And yet, exactly that WAS said, by practically every Catholic, that Vatican II abolished Friday penances and we didn’t have to do anything anymore.

Yeah, it’s not like people ever misinterpreted the bishops before or will ever do it again.

 

[Bookcat]

In any case - Fridays that are not solemnities or Holy Days of Obligation -* remain days of penance.* Be there an obligation or not.

Simply live them as such. Be it giving up meat or some other penance.

 

[FrDavid96]

In any case - Fridays that are not solemnities or Holy Days of Obligation -* remain days of penance.* Be there an obligation or not.

Simply live them as such. Be it giving up meat or some other penance.

Well, since Fridays remain days of penance, they remain days of penance.

The obligation was never abrogated. It’s that simple. It never happened. No where, no time, did the US bishops ever say that the obligation to do penance on Friday was abrogated or made optional. I mean what else to say? If no such statement exists that they abrogated the Friday penance, then (de facto) they did not do it.

As I wrote earlier, the only way I can prove the negative is to quote the entire document and point to each sentence saying “it’s not here…it’s not here…it’s not here either” That would be a rather pointless exercise.

On the other hand, no one can actually point to any sentence in the document in which the bishops say that they are abrogating the Friday penance, or making it optional. No such sentence exists.

We cannot say that the bishops exempted the US from canon 1250* unless one can actually point to the sentence in which this allegedly happened. After quite a lengthy discussion, it stands to reason that if such a sentence did exist, someone would have found it by now.

Either we can believe that the bishops said one thing in a written document, but actually intended something else; or we can believe that the bishops wrote what they intended to say. What they said was that they were abrogating the requirement of no-meat as the sole means of observing the Friday penance. They never said they were abrogating the Friday penance itself.

---

*see my comments from earlier today about the 1966 document and the 1983 Code.

 

[Bookcat]

Well, since Fridays remain days of penance, they remain days of penance.

They can remain “days of penance” with out there being an obligation to such.

No time to read or comment - got to run (and like I do not plan to discuss this further really - I have made my posts up above (I see as I noted aspects on both sides–to me it is it is just simple to say it is a day of penance so lets do penance) and noted again Jimmy Akins thoughts and research-- you and he can discuss the matter)

Happy Mercy Sunday.