Friday Fast

[DJ B.K.]

I'm not sure what all I know already about dastings on Fridays so My question about them is vague. First off, what is the difference between fast on regular Fridays and Fridays during Lent if any? Are we required to fast every Friday? If so, why do we only make a big deal of it on Lent if it's "required every Friday." Also I'd like some basic information on how to go about fasting on Friday. I thought I knew what to do and how it worked but apparently not. Thanks.

 

[Dream]

It used to be that you were supposed to fast every Friday and not eat meat on any day during Lent, except for Sundays. Vatican II switched it around and said no meat on Fridays during Lent.

For days of fasting, eat small and simple meals with no meat. Don't snack in between meals and don't have any very fine deserts afterwards. I think it goes something like: have one full meal, and the other two meals together should be less than the full meal.

A lot of Catholics will go out for a fish-fry on Fridays during Lent at a very nice restraunt. This isn't really fasting, but eating fine foods that aren't meat.

Hoped that helped a bit.

 

[Mystery5]

I'm not sure what all I know already about dastings on Fridays so My question about them is vague. First off, what is the difference between fast on regular Fridays and Fridays during Lent if any? Are we required to fast every Friday? If so, why do we only make a big deal of it on Lent if it's "required every Friday." Also I'd like some basic information on how to go about fasting on Friday. I thought I knew what to do and how it worked but apparently not. Thanks.

We are required to abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent, and the rest of the year we are required to either abstain from meat or do some other penance on Fridays. The only required fasting is on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday, as far as I know. Of course, you can always do more than the bare minimum requirement for the betterment of your own spiritual growth.

 

[Alexis OCA]

Fasting is only required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Abstinence is technically required on Friday's during Lent, but some like myself observe it on all Friday's of the year.

 

[Credo]

Used to be that abstaining from meat was observed on every Friday of the year. I, even growing up after Vatican II, remember always having salmon patties and mac'n'cheese every Friday growing up.

We are still bound to make a sacrifice on Fridays in honor of our Lord's Passion and Death. However, it is not required to be abtaining from meat except during Lent. So, we are to give something up every Friday during the year, during Lent we must abstain from meat. Personally, I still abstain from meat on Fridays, but it could be anything else. I could give up television on Fridays, or coffee (not a chance, but I could), sweets, etc.

JMJ

 

[Alexis OCA]

Vatican II switched it around and said no meat on Fridays during Lent.

This is incorrect and something that cannot be blamed on the Council. Paul VI in a post-concilair pastoral letter indicated that the Friday abstinence should be observed all year UNLESS the bishops of a particular area placed a specific penance in its place. The US bishops took that ball and ran with it and placed a very ambiguous penance of observing Friday as a day of prayer and penance. This supposedly substituted for the requirement to abstain from meat on Fridays.

 

[Dream]

This is incorrect and something that cannot be blamed on the Council. Paul VI in a post-concilair pastoral letter indicated that the Friday abstinence should be observed all year UNLESS the bishops of a particular area placed a specific penance in its place. The US bishops took that ball and ran with it and placed a very ambiguous penance of observing Friday as a day of prayer and penance. This supposedly substituted for the requirement to abstain from meat on Fridays.

I stand corrected.

I've always heard it the other way around.

 

[Alexis OCA]

Used to be that abstaining from meat was observed on every Friday of the year. I, even growing up after Vatican II, remember always having salmon patties and mac'n'cheese every Friday growing up.

We are still bound to make a sacrifice on Fridays in honor of our Lord's Passion and Death. However, it is not required to be abtaining from meat except during Lent. So, we are to give something up every Friday during the year, during Lent we must abstain from meat. Personally, I still abstain from meat on Fridays, but it could be anything else. I could give up television on Fridays, or coffee (not a chance, but I could), sweets, etc.

JMJ

Well said. Nice personal touch. I grew up on fishcakes and spaghetti.

 

[geocajun]

This is incorrect and something that cannot be blamed on the Council. Paul VI in a post-concilair pastoral letter indicated that the Friday abstinence should be observed all year UNLESS the bishops of a particular area placed a specific penance in its place. The US bishops took that ball and ran with it and placed a very ambiguous penance of observing Friday as a day of prayer and penance. This supposedly substituted for the requirement to abstain from meat on Fridays.

Also, folks are not obligated to do Friday penance, but rather encouraged to do it.
It is no longer a sin if you do not do it.

 

[DJ B.K.]

Also, folks are not obligated to do Friday penance, but rather encouraged to do it.
It is no longer a sin if you do not do it.

I'd of course want to do it every Friday, but I guess you're saying it isn't a sin if I forget to do a penance. One of the reasons I asked this though was because I was worried about the Friday's where it would be hard not to eat meat. I guess I could give up whatever else that Friday.

 

[geocajun]

I'd of course want to do it every Friday, but I guess you're saying it isn't a sin if I forget to do a penance. One of the reasons I asked this though was because I was worried about the Friday's where it would be hard not to eat meat. I guess I could give up whatever else that Friday.

it would also not be a sin if you just didn't want to do penance on Friday either. Its up to you.

 

[DJ B.K.]

Thanks for the information all.

 

[geocajun]

Thanks for the information all.

no problem. Its the distinction between obligation, and encouraged.
We are encouraged to do penance every Friday, and also encouraged to not eat meat as the traditional penance. However, folks can substitute any form of penance they like.

 

[Paul S]

Also, folks are not obligated to do Friday penance, but rather encouraged to do it.
It is no longer a sin if you do not do it.

Where is this? I believe canon law says it's still obligatory, but the bishops can make it something other than abstinence, but you still have to do something.

 

[Alexis OCA]

it would also not be a sin if you just didn't want to do penance on Friday either. Its up to you.

But isn't the penance supposed to take the place of the abstinence as per Pope Paul's Apostolic letter?

 

[Michael G]

This is incorrect and something that cannot be blamed on the Council. Paul VI in a post-concilair pastoral letter indicated that the Friday abstinence should be observed all year UNLESS the bishops of a particular area placed a specific penance in its place. The US bishops took that ball and ran with it and placed a very ambiguous penance of observing Friday as a day of prayer and penance. This supposedly substituted for the requirement to abstain from meat on Fridays.

That is actually correct. Vatican II did not make the change, the US Bishops took a very loose reading of a pastoral letter by Paul VI and made the change. I know alot of strict Catholics who still do the friday fast, and I did it as well when I was Catholic.

 

[geocajun]

Where is this? I believe canon law says it's still obligatory, but the bishops can make it something other than abstinence, but you still have to do something.

Canon law says:
Can. 1253 The Episcopal Conference can determine more particular ways in which fasting and abstinence are to be observed. In place of abstinence or fasting it can substitute, in whole or in part, other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.


From the USCCB - "One Penance and Abstinence:
http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=5303

1. Friday itself remains a special day of penitential observance throughout the year, a time when those who seek perfection will be mindful of their personal sins and the sins of mankind which they are called upon to help expiate in union with Christ Crucified;

2. 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 be freely making of every Friday a day of self-denial and mortification in prayerful remembrance of the passion of Jesus Christ;

3. 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 as 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;

a. We shall thus freely and out of love for Christ Crucified show our solidarity with the generations of believers to whom this practice frequently became, especially in times of persecution and of great poverty, no mean evidence of fidelity in Christ and his Church.

b. We shall thus also remind ourselves that as Christians, although immersed in the world and sharing its life, we must preserve a saving and necessary difference from the spirit of the world. Our deliberate, personal abstinence from meat, more especially because no longer required by law, will be an outward sign of inward spiritual values that we cherish.

 

[Paul S]

That looks like it says it's no longer a sin to eat meat on Fridays, but you still have to do some penance. Canon 1253 says "substitute", not "abolish".

 

[geocajun]

Paul, read it carefully, the USCCB used choice language there so as to restrict the 'obligation' to Lent and Ash Wed. while leaving other Fridays as a recommended penance for those seeking spiritual perfect. They did not abolish the penance, but rather they changed its force.

For what its worth, it wasn't until I read Jimmy Akins article on this in the January "This rock" that I understood it this way. Prior to him breaking it down (he knows canon law quite well), I had the same understanding you did - its a very common misunderstanding.
Also, the "New commentary on the Code of Canon Law" does not state any legal obligation to do penance on Fridays outside of Lent and Ash Wednsday either since Rome ratified "One Penance and Abstinence".

Remember that legal obligations do not exist if they are not legislated

 

[Maggie893]

So what's the deal with fish? Isn't fish a flesh meat?