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by mandys on March 19th, 2007

mandys

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Why can't catholics eat meat on Fridays , during lent

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  • by Aero is back and wiser on June 27th, 2008

    Aero is back and wiser

    Here's what my preist told me when I was Catholic:

    The tradition of eating fish on Fridays and not other meat was, strangely enough, for ecomomical purposes.Back when the religion was smaller, most of it's members where poor fishermen.So in order to help their trade,the church decreed that all catholics should eat fish on every Friday.Eventually this was changed to be done only during Lent but it was originally done to help the fishermen's trade.

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  • by miRi hates social norms and regulations on June 27th, 2008

    miRi hates social norms and regulations

    it's part of their spiritual sacrifice and self denial for the purpose of spiritual cleansing

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  • by KagomeShuko on March 19th, 2007

    KagomeShuko

    It is a Lenten discipline. There are people of other denominations who may do things such as this or giving up something during the season of Lent for discipline.

    It is not an issue of salvation, but because of the importance of tradition in Catholicism, many people do this.

    It goes back to when one of the presidents asked people to not eat meat on Fridays to save on it during one of the wars and has continued as a good discipline.

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  • by Anonymous on February 28th, 2009

    Anonymous

    In the first century, Jews fasted on Mondays and Thursdays. The original Christians were all Jewish and were used to the fasting as a spiritual discipline. They moved the fast days to Wednesdays and Fridays, because Judas engineered Jesus' arrest on a Wednesday and Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Most often that fast took the form of avoiding meat in the diet. In those days, meat was a luxury food. You either had to buy it in a market or you had to own enough land to keep cattle. On the other hand, anyone could grow vegetables or forage for them, and anyone could catch a fish in a lake or a stream. You could buy better fish and vegetables, but the point is that you could eat without money if you were poor. So meat was rich people's food and fish was poor people's food. That is why the most common form of fasting was to omit meat and eat fish.

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  • by Anonymous on February 14th, 2009

    Anonymous

    Everyone who quoted the bible, were quoting passages about FASTING, not the REASON for fasting specifically from meat during Lent. THAT was the question. The person was asking for clarification on a specific point in Catholicism, not to be preached fire and brimstone and mortal sins for eating meat(?????? you CAN'T be serious.) and the importance of doing things "because I said so!". That isn't a real answer, it's a cop-out and fear tactics. Catholics Want to understand, not be dictated to like they were 3 year olds. Understanding the reasons and whys is what will save the Catholic Church from losing it's followers. Refusal to be open to questions is where you will force people to lose faith. Don't miss the forest for the trees, people. It's just a question, not questioning of the entire faith. Push the curious away, and they'll stay away.

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  • by ImaCatholic2 on June 27th, 2008

    ImaCatholic2

    The Catholic Church and many other Christians Churches follow the Biblical practice of Jesus Christ and the Jews in setting aside days where the entire Church fasts and prays as one in a attitude of constant renewal.

    By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert and in spiritual preparation for the celebration of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

    This season of penance is an intense moment of the Church's penitential practice and are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and charitable and missionary works.

    The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches also observe the season of Lent. Many modern Protestant Churches consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation.

    For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1438:
    http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.htm#1438

    For Lenten resources, see:
    • http://www.usccb.org/lent/
    • http://americancatholic.org/Features/Lent/default.asp
    • http://americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0205.asp

    With love in Christ.

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  • by Anonymous on June 27th, 2008

    Anonymous

    It pays to be protestant!

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  • by Aldebaran on June 27th, 2008

    Aldebaran

    I choose not to eat meat on Fridays during Lent because I love Christ and want to do His will. How can I know that I am doing his will?

    Christ gave the apostles the authority to "bind and loose" (Matt 16). The Catholic bishops are the successors to the apostles. Catholic bishops can make laws for the Church (disciplines), suspend them, modify their application, or abolish them altogether.

    The discipline of not eating meat on Fridays during Lent falls under the Church's divine authority to bind and loose. If a Catholic bishop wants to dispense with it in his See, he (or his vicar) can do so either generally or on a case-by-case basis. Occasionally, general dispensation happens. The last time it happened in my diocese is when St. Patrick's day fell on a Friday during Lent.

    Ordinarily, Catholics are expected to willingly submit to the legitimate authority of the Catholic Church by observing the laws of the Church. In doing so, the faithful are willingly submitting to the will of Christ expressed through His Church.

    Therefore, if I know the laws of the Catholic Church and choose to willfully submit to these laws, Jesus sees my love for His will by my act of obedience. As it it written in Matt 7 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father" and in James 2 "Faith without works is dead". It matters what I do.

    The follow up question that goes with this "Is is a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays during lent?" In can be. If one has knowledge of the Divine authority of the Catholic Church to make this law, and with that knowledge purposely eats meat anyway, objectively one would commit a mortal sin. The grave matter necessary for a mortal sin is the placing of oneself above the Divine authority of the Catholic Church. It is the willful disobedience (pride), not the eating of the meat itself, that constitutes the mortal sin.

    And yes, Gracie, one unrepented mortal sin is enough to land one in hell.

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  • by lindsay on March 8th, 2008

    lindsay

    1. there is nothing in the bible that specifically states that you cannot eat meat on fridays. go ahead and read the entire bible and i guarentee you its not there. and if you dont believe me, pick up the bible yourself and stop preaching about something that isnt even written in the bible. if youre gonna preach about something, make sure you have seen it with your own eyes and actually know what youre talking about so you dont make a fool of yourself. 2. the reason catholics are "not supposed to eat meat on fridays during lent", goes back to medievial times. The fish market was doing poorly with profit, so they complained to the catholic church to help them. The pope then made a rule that if you were catholic, as many people were at that time, that they could not eat meat on fridays, but fish was allowed. therefore people started buying fish and hence boosted the fish markets profit.

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  • by tibear on February 13th, 2008

    tibear

    There is no hard and fast rule that Catholics cannot eat meat on Fridays during lent. It is simply a disciple that we are called to do if we can.

    It is a sacrifice that we do (since most of us are meat eaters) that brings us a little bit closer to the sacrifice that Jesus went through. Similarly, we are also called to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday but it is not a "law".

    These traditions are NOT central to our beliefs and are not sins onto God if we don't follow them.

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  • by angel on February 11th, 2008

    angel

    I don't know that, because I cannot remember . My grandfather (long dead) was becoming a priest and saw the main head honcho breaking this rule. He asked why, and was told "do as I say, Not as I do" and he quit and had 13 children LOL

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  • by ckp on February 10th, 2008

    ckp

    Catholics must understand, if not embrace, the Traditions of the Church. I, myself, have fallen victim to the "where is that in the Bible" fear. I love the Bible. The Bible is Truth. This does not mean we do not learn of God's love from other sources. Jesus taught the apostles many things. The Church benefits from the wisdom and knowledge of those men and those who were taught by them. Remember the Holy Spirit guides the Church over time. Did Jesus teach the apostles to abstain from meat on Fridays. No, I do not think so. But he gave them the basis by which our Church has instituted that practice. IT IS NOT TO LOOK GOOD THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW THESE RULES. There is PEACE in obedience. Try it. The humility of obeying a rule you may not understand, while searching to understand it, opens your eyes to the light. I am sorry I did not directly answer your question. The bigger question behind it was,"why do Catholics do weird things that are not in the Bible."
    A simple answer to your question could be one of many:
    Abstain as a reminder that you are observing Lent.
    Abstain as a form of Penance to help you remain on the narrow path to salvation. (No-I am not saying acts of penance save you. I am saying acts of Penance help YOU to remain disciplined and focused on God's will.)
    I abstain because it is hard to remember. It reminds me that the apostles had a hard time staying up when Jesus was praying on the night before he died. When I forget to abstain, I am reminded of my fragile humanity. It brings me closer to the Truth that I need God's help in all that I do.

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  • by Butter830 on February 8th, 2008

    Butter830

    I am Catholic and Dont understand. If this is in the bible can someone please show me.

    Thanks

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  • by iwnit on February 14th, 2009

    iwnit

    "The Friday Fast is a Roman Catholic practice of abstaining from meat in Fridays in Ordinary Time. Abstinence is colloquially referred to as "fasting" although it does not necessary involve a reduction in the quantity of food.

    The Friday fast is done in commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. After the Second Vatican Council it has not been widely followed by Roman Catholics apart from Good Friday itself.
    Specific regulations are passed by individual episcopates. In the US in 1966 the USCCB passed Norms II and IV that bound all persons from age fourteen to be bound to abstinence from meat on Fridays of Lent, and through the year. In September 1983, Canons 1252 and 1253 expressed this same rule, and added that Bishops may permit substitution of other penitential practices on Fridays outside of Lent only, but that some form of penance shall be observed on Friday in commemoration of the day of the week of the Lord's Crucifixion.

    Abstinence is not optional for Catholics on Fridays during Lent. Abstinence on all Fridays is still the preferred practice among many Catholics.

    The practice of fasting on Fridays, specifically on Good Friday, has probably been derived from the Jewish tradition of fasting before Passover. The day preceding Passover, Jews fasted without eating until nightfall and then broke their fast with the celebration of the Passover meal. Early Christians extended this fast before Easter through the time in which Jews rejoiced over their Passover meal. Therefore, the fast continued until cockcrow (around 3 A.M.) the next morning. Although some churches later fasted on Saturdays, most early Christians did not fast on the Jewish Shabbat as a sign of respect, and therefore fasted only on Good Friday, which also held significance as the day of Jesus’ death."
    Source and further information:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_Fast

    Further information:
    http://www.wf-f.org/FastandAbstinence.html
    http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Lent/faqle9902.asp

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  • by Moosemose on February 8th, 2008

    Moosemose

    I always Use Scripture my Friend so here U go Enjoy! John

    1 Corinthians 6:12-13

    12All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

    13Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

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  • by JohnDough on February 11th, 2008

    JohnDough

    Moses fasted for forty days and forty nights while he was on the mountain with God. (Exodus 34:28)
    King David fasted when the son of his adulterous union with Bethsheba was struck sick by God, in punishment for the adultery and for David's murder of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah the Hittite. Nevertheless, the son died, upon which David broke his fast (2 Samuel 12:15-25).
    King Jehosaphat proclaimed a fast throughout Judah for victory over the Moabites and Ammonites who were attacking them (2 Chronicles 20:3).
    The prophet Isaiah chastised the Israelites in Isaiah 58 for the unrighteous methods and motives of their fasting. He clarified some of the best reasons for fasting and listed both physical and spiritual benefits that would result.[1]
    The prophet Joel called for a fast to avert the judgement of God.
    The people of Nineveh in response to Jonah's prophecy, fasted to avert the judgement of God (Jonah 3:7).
    The Jews of Persia, following Mordechai's example, fasted due to the genocidal decree of Haman. Queen Esther declared a three-day fast for all the Jews prior to risking her life in visiting King Ahasuerus uninvited (Esther 4).
    The Pharisees in Jesus' time fasted regularly, and asked Jesus why his disciples did not. Jesus answered them using a parable (Luke 5:33-39, Matthew 9:14-15, Mark 2:18-20).
    Jesus also warned against fasting to gain favor from men. He warned his followers that they should fast in private, not letting others know they were fasting (Matthew 6:16–18).
    Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights while in the desert, prior to the three temptations (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:2).
    Jesus said : But this kind (of demon) does not go out except by prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:21)
    And he (Jesus) said unto them (disciples), This kind (of demon) can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. (Mark 9:29)
    The prophetess Anna, who proclaimed the birth of Jesus in the Temple, fasted regularly (Luke 2:37).
    There are indications in the New Testament as well as from the Apocryphal Didache that members of the early Christian Church fasted regularly.
    (regards, wikipedia)

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  • by lbazar on April 19th, 2011

    lbazar

    "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and DOCTRINES OF DEVILS; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; FORBIDDING TO MARRY, and commanding to abstain from MEATS..." (1st Timothy 4:1-3).

    It's because their doctrine is wrong.. it's from the devil.. not according to me but according to the bible. and so is forbidding people to marry.. that is why priests do not marry.

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  • by casey.cutie on June 27th, 2008

    casey.cutie

    umm i know i am not answering this question but i am going to say this and this is just my opinion ...

    I think that god or somebody made animals mainly for eating and i am not talking about like eating cats and stuff because that is just wrong but like cows and chickens and deer. yes sure have pets but like dont be a vegetarian. i LOVE!!!!!!!!!!! animals and i have many of them and i eat meat. but when everything comes down to it and the world is at its end and there is nothing to eat but a few cows and if you didnt eat the cow because you were a vegetarian or it was a friday and u r catholic just think :: would u rather die or just eat the cow??

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  • by bigd012904 on June 27th, 2008

    bigd012904

    I don't think they are suppose to eat meat any Friday, but it has become common to practice only during lint. The Catholic hospital in my town only serves fish on Friday. Most places have fish as their special on Friday's too. I don't know why though.

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  • by imortal on September 25th, 2008

    imortal

    is that what were suposed to do, iv never followed that rule as idid not know it existed

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  • by Drublic on August 23rd, 2008

    Drublic

    As answered by Cecil at The Straight Dope


    History is silent on the details of any particular pontiff-initiated fishing-industry stimulus package. While anything is possible, the evolution of the Lenten fasting restrictions from their beginnings to now is fairly well understood without recourse to explanations involving commercial concerns.

    There’s no question that in the earliest days of the church, there was observance of some sort of fasting immediately prior to the Easter season. The particulars of the fast varied greatly, however – as did the dates of the celebration of Easter itself. In the second century, Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, wrote to Pope Victor concerning the dispute about when Easter should be celebrated, and as an aside pointed out, concerning the fast, “. . . some think they ought to fast for one day, others for two days, and others even for several, while others reckon forty hours both of day and night to their fast. Such variation in the observance did not originate in our own day, but very much earlier, in the time of our forefathers.” “Forefathers” was a common manner of referring to the original apostles. Other works suggested that 40 was a count of days rather than hours.

    The idea that one might abstain from eating meat during the runup to Easter but continue to eat fish is similarly ancient and probably predates any time when a pope might believe his edicts could succor an entire industry. The Constantinople historian Socrates (no relation to the ancient Greek of the same name), writing in the fifth century, says of the fasters of his day: "Some abstain from every sort of creature that has life, while others of all the living creatures eat of fish only. Others eat birds as well as fish, because, according to the Mosaic account of the Creation, they too sprang from the water; others abstain from fruit covered by a hard shell and from eggs. Some eat dry bread only, others not even that; others again when they have fasted to the ninth hour partake of various kinds of food.” Some early commentators envisioned truly grueling fasts: the Galatian Palladius wrote of people going more than a full day without food of any kind at all during Holy Week (the week immediately preceding Easter), eating one or two full meals in total over the course of the seven days.

    In the early seventh century, Pope St. Gregory issued the rule that would ultimately evolve into the Lenten restrictions of today. Writing to Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Pope Saint Gregory said: “We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese and eggs.” His edict was understood to rely on the earlier reasoning related by Socrates, exempting fish from the definition of "meat" based on the Bible's account of the order in which the various living things were created – not, perhaps, the most scientifically rigorous distinction but one having nothing to do with fishermen's interests. The Council of Toledo, in 477, had already mandated refraining from meat not just during the Lenten observance, but for all Fridays of the year.

    Over the course of time the Church has tweaked those original rules still further. As people involved in heavy manual labor could not, it was ultimately conceded, maintain the same scant diet as monks living a life of quiet contemplation, a small meal during the day was permitted to keep up strength. Dispensations for the consumption of milk, cheese, and eggs became common – at first one could secure the right to consume them by promising to perform a pious work – and eventually dairy and eggs simply became permissible. We see remnants of the earlier restriction on such foods in the Shrove Tuesday practice of eating pancakes to use up any remaining eggs in the home.

    The current discipline begins on Ash Wednesday and continues until Easter – 40 days exactly, not counting the Sundays, which are technically free from Lenten restriction. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of both fasting (one regular meal per day plus two small meals, together not equal to a normal meal) and abstinence (no meat). Other Fridays during Lent are days of abstinence from meat only. Those over age 14 must abstain from meat; those between 18 and 60 must observe the rules of fasting. In all cases, medical conditions or any case of grave necessity supersedes the regulation. Fridays outside of Lent are no longer required to be meatless; rather than abstaining, the faithful may substitute another pious sacrifice in its place.

    http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlent.html

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  • by Linda_L9789 on March 10th, 2011

    Linda_L9789

    If you want the true answer you won't get it from random people, you'll get a bunch of hear-say and theories and personal feelings. You need to go to a credible website, such as catholiceducation.org, ask a priest or nun, or look it up in a book. The most important thing that lent is all about and revolves around is sacrifice. In my opinion, meat is just the one universal sacrifice that the Catholics declared to give up in order to observe Jesus' bodily sacrifice on the cross for our forgiveness of sins. But you need to develop your own opinion based on credible research. Then when your kids ask why, you'll have an asnwer you believe in and support. Good luck!

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