I was recently corrected in my mistaken belief that Vatican II softened the requirement to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. I now know the matter was left to episcopal conferences to decide proper weekly penance. In the United States, the norm has not changed, however we are permitted to substitute acts of charity or piety or other appropriate penitential acts. Let's put aside for a moment the fact that fewer American Catholics perform Friday penance than obey the rule forbidding artificial contraception, and look at the rest of the world (I'm guilty of the former, BTW.). Specifically, I'm wondering if any of my readers might know what other episcopal conferences around the world require of their flocks? How many still absolutely require abstinence from meat of Fridays? Of those, how faithful and obedient are the people?
Funky Dung
Comments 6
The CCCB allows acts of charity or piety to replace abstinence from meat on Fridays in Canada. Not sure whether that applies for Good Friday and Ash Wednesday asbstinence, though. I don't imagine most people know that the requirement still exists.
With Friday being the end of the work week, it is more natural to see it as the beginning of the Sabbath (and a day of celebration) than a day of abstinence. hmmm…. I may blog about this thought later.
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Posted 29 Aug 2005 at 3:40 pm ¶To be sure, the Sabbath should be celebratory, but of God, not works of man. For most people (myself included, unfortunately) Fridays are about relaxing in wordly ways, rather than immersing ourselves in prayer and lexio divina. Since the Sabbath is a foretaste of Heaven, we should prepare ourselves for it through acts of penance, lest we should otherwise defile it.
"Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10a
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Posted 29 Aug 2005 at 4:11 pm ¶"… [There] appears to be no legal obligation in the United States to practice penance on Friday, but Friday remains a day on which the bishops have urged all [note: not obliged] to do penance and, in particular, recommended the continued practice of abstinence."
See http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0501bt.asp .
I'm still not sure.
However, shouldn't there be some part of every Friday dedicated to the day Jesus died on the cross?
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Posted 29 Aug 2005 at 5:29 pm ¶Byzantine Catholics of the Ruthinian rite still practice abstinance on Fridays. To the best of my knowledge the laity are faithful to this custom.
When you are refering to the Sabath are you speaking of Saturday or Sunday?
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Posted 29 Aug 2005 at 6:14 pm ¶I'm not sure about Talmida, but I'm referring to Sunday.
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Posted 29 Aug 2005 at 6:17 pm ¶The Korean bishops conferences just last year allowed acts of charity or piety to replace abstinence from meat on Fridays.
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Posted 05 Sep 2005 at 5:56 am ¶Post a Comment