no meat fridays

“question for anyone who might know.

What is the root of the tradition that bars Catholics from eating meat on fridays during lent. I have asked probably 50 folks including a priest and no one really seemed to know why. Just curious. I heard on the radio this morn that a local Cardinal lifted the ban for St Patties day which got me thinking about this again. Thanks...”

“It started as peoples' personal fast and over time became tradition as it was popular.”

“later - written into their canon

Canon 1251
Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, 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.”

“Is that why Howard Johnson's had the fish special on Fridays?”

“no”

“I have also heard that meat was barred year round on fridays for some time then moved to lent only...”

“Meatless Friday circa WWII? It's not until recent history that people ate so much meat.”

“My mom worked in the Catholic Church for 30 years as an organist/music director. She told us eating fish on Fridays during Lent helped the fishermen, (don't ask me what time period) as they were poor. Buying fish helped support them.

Why its still done today, I have no idea. Tradition is not something Catholics give up easily. No one knows why they do many things in the Church, just that its always been done that way. Its one of the major issues I have with the Church, and one of the reasons I left it.



I can't believe the cardinal just lifted the abstinance from meat on St. Patty's Day. To me, that says "we just do it becuase that's what we do, and there's really no meaning so go right ahead and pig out on corned beef on that day, no worries". What a joke. It either means something, and you do it despite some other factor (like a silly holiday) it should remain an important part of the faith. Dismissing Catholics from this obligation says that its not an important obligation, at least to me.”

“Catholics:

Partying on Saturday
Confession on Sunday
At it again on Monday







{bear ducks for cover}”

“I have some religous training. The cynic in me says that St. Patty's day comes about mid-stream in Lent, because people couldn't last the entire 40 days of fasting. LOL

j/k”

“smiley, I had heard about the tradition being related to helping fisherman (I searched a catholic site but couldnt find anything) and that sounded the most plausible. I agree with your comments about the Cardinal lifting the ban. Thats what got me to post this...

RL, where are you man. I'd love to hear your take.”

“Where does the green beer come into the picture, Chi-town Mark?”

“Is that why Howard Johnson's had the fish special on Fridays?”
Leofric1
6:11:43 PM
3/09/06

Actually, it is why many resturants have a fish special on Friday. No meat on Friday used to be observed every Friday.”

“birch,
growing up catholic i was always told that to many people, giving up meat would be a big inconvenience. because lent was a time for catholics to show their dedication to god, they had to give up something that would really count. but i also heard the rumblings about the political side of how the fishermen needed people to eat fish so the church stepped in and requested meat given up. in the days of yore people could not eat meat the entire lenten period, not just on fridays (if my memory serves me correctly).”

“Religion sure makes people do some pointless stuff. Especially false religions.”

“Why not email the Pope?

Personally, I don't know of a religion that isn't false.”

“Don't the more conservative Catholics still abstain from eating meat on Fridays? Most places around here run fish specials on Fridays.”

“Yam was around during the days of yore? When exactly where those?

Growing up in the outter(?) Catholic Belt of WNY, most Restaurants had Friday Fish Fry's year round.”

“My grandmother doesn't eat meat on Fridays. When I was little and she was taking care of us, she'd always get us Long John Silvers fish on Fridays...LOL! Not much of a cook. But man, that fish & chips was so good!! It's probably like the most unhealthy thing ever...I mean what are those little nuggets they give you with it, fried grease? I'd probably kill someone for it though.”

“This website, and others I've seen, says that the lifting of Lent for St. Patrick's Day isn't a new thing...http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/holidays/st_patricks_day.htm”

“lyra those little nuggets are called hush puppies. =) I grew up catholic, eatting tuna salad, van de kamps fish sticks, mcdonalds fish sandwichs and long john silvers. Man, you'd think my mom hated real fish or something.....wait a second, she does.”

“I think van de kamp was once fish but don't quote me.”

“No not those! I know what hush puppies are, in fact I'm an expert. ;-) I'd kill for those, too. I mean those little tiny pieces of crispy stuff, they're like the size of the tip of your finger or something. Ewww, Wendy's chili flashback. But those things used to be an actual menu item I think, like you could order extra...fried whatever they're called.”

“Guy's don't you think we should keep the lid on the no "meat" friday thing...this is going to ruin my weekend plans with daydreamer and Gemini. ( and all you other hykerchicks ) !!”

“My understanding is that the Catholic Church has always held that acts of penetance should be entwined in the lives of the faithful. Not eating fish on Fridays was one way to have a communal sense of shared penance. Fridays seemed to have some special importance because of good Friday - I still have no real idea of why no meat or why fish instead.”

“Nun!”

“hehehehe you said "meat!"”

“In my house, it was Tuna Noodle Casserole (which I HATED!) or our Parish's fish fry, which my dad worked at for many, many years. I loved the fish fry - greasy fish, greasy fries, lots of ketchup, and really good rolls. YUM!

I'll have to ask my mom what she thinks about the Cardinal's decision to lift the no-meat Friday. She always has an opinion about things like this. :)”

“OK Birch, the History Channel says that the no-meat thing is lifted if St. Patty's day falls on a Friday in Lent. Guess the Cardinal didn't do anything that hasn't been done before.


Still, I don't understand why St. Patty's Day trumps Lent.”

“Tonite I asked a guy I kow who is a history and theology major. He said he would look into it, but said that he thinks it had more to do with an economic or food safety issue vs a particualr religious tradition.

Smiley, I look forward to your moms take.”

“I like tuna noodle casserole.”

“Ok, here's what Marge had to say today on the subject of the Cardinal's dispensation the no-meat Friday rule:


"Must be to help the beef industry" (after discussing how no-meat Fridays came to be to help the fishing industry)

She says these sort of rules are pretty confusing to the common Catholic sitting in the pew on Sunday. St. Patty's Day is not a Holy Day in the Catholic Church, and the head of the local diocese has the authority to say yea or nay on this particular rule. Cardinal Maida lifted the meatless Friday rule for this occassion. But the confusion comes in with meat/no meat/which diocese said what.

I'm going to e-mail several of my Catholic friends and see if their bishops gave them the a-ok to eat meat next Friday. The diocese my parents are in (in Florida) hasn't given them the OK to be carnivors next week.”

“Hmmm.

I thought there was a dispensation for North America.

BTW, whales, beaver, muskrat and otter count as fish.”