Vegetarians/vegans and lent

[QuasiCatholic]

Originally posted in Traditional Catholicism …

This is a random question, but I was wondering …

During the regular year, U.S. Catholics are supposed to either abstain from meat on Friday or else do some other form of penance. During Lent, we all are supposed to abstain from meat for that same reason.

But what if you are a vegetarian or a vegan, and giving up meat isn’t really a sacrifice at all because you already avoid it for other reasons? Do those people have to do some other form of penance throughout the year? Or is avoiding meat enough even if they aren’t doing it for penitential reason?

 

[underacloud]

Friday is the universal day of penance in the Church. Vegetarians and vegans should certainly perform some work of penance. Obviously abstaining from something they don’t eat anyway is no penance at all, so yes they should do something else (prayer, mass, another form of self-denial, etc).

PS I don’t think the Friday abstinance from meat is still in effect in US. I’m not sure, but it is not in effect here in Australia. The obligation to do some penance remains though.

 

[Vico]

Originally posted in Traditional Catholicism …

This is a random question, but I was wondering …

During the regular year, U.S. Catholics are supposed to either abstain from meat on Friday or else do some other form of penance. During Lent, we all are supposed to abstain from meat for that same reason.

But what if you are a vegetarian or a vegan, and giving up meat isn’t really a sacrifice at all because you already avoid it for other reasons? Do those people have to do some other form of penance throughout the year? Or is avoiding meat enough even if they aren’t doing it for penitential reason?

The purpose is “ascesis and penance” and for “mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart”. The vegetarian also practices mastery over instincs in avoiding meat eating.
2043 The fourth precept (“You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church”) ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.85 …

 

[Stephen_says]

Friday abstinence obligation is not in effect in the US.

While the USCCB strongly suggests some form of penance be undertaken on Fridays, and abstinence is the preferred method of that penance, other things can be substituted, like some work of charity.

But this suggestion is not enforced, and I only found out about it 3 or 4 years ago (I’m 30)

If you were to ask 100 different people, you would get 100 different opinions ranging from “The letter of the law says don’t eat meat, so you’re fine” to “It’s the spirit of the law that matters, and you should give up something else.”

Personally, I think that for penance to be penitential, it should be at least a little hard, or out of your comfort zone, so I would suggest to a vegetarian to do something extra.

 

[Vico]

Friday abstinence obligation is not in effect in the US.

While the USCCB strongly suggests some form of penance be undertaken on Fridays, and abstinence is the preferred method of that penance, other things can be substituted, like some work of charity.

But this suggestion is not enforced, and I only found out about it 3 or 4 years ago (I’m 30)

If you were to ask 100 different people, you would get 100 different opinions ranging from “The letter of the law says don’t eat meat, so you’re fine” to “It’s the spirit of the law that matters, and you should give up something else.”

Personally, I think that for penance to be penitential, it should be at least a little hard, or out of your comfort zone, so I would suggest to a vegetarian to do something extra.

USCCB issued this complimentary norm for Latin Catholics. The abstinence is restricted to Ash Wednesday, the Fridays of Lent, and Good Friday, and recommended the continued practice of abstinence on all other Fridays.
**Canon 1253 - Observance of Fast and Abstinence **

Complementary Norm: Norms II and IV of Paenitemini (February 17, 1966) are almost identical to the canons cited. The November 18, 1966 norms of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops on penitential observance for the Liturgical Year continue in force since they are law and are not contrary to the Code (canon 6).

Approved: Administrative Committee, September 1983

Promulgated: Memorandum to All Bishops, October 21, 1983

Amended: “… the age of fasting is from the completion of the twenty-first year to the beginning of the sixtieth” (Paenitemini, norm IV) is amended to read “‘… the age of fasting is from the completion of the eighteenth year to the beginning of the sixtieth’ in accord with canon 97.”

Promulgated: Memorandum to All Diocesan Bishops, February 29, 1984

(See On Penance and Abstinence, Pastoral Statement of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, November 18, 1966)

CIC 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.