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MEATLESS FRIDAYS and the Official Church Law (Surprise!)
Life Enterprises Unlimited ^ | Father David C. Trosch

Posted on 02/28/2006 10:01:19 AM PST by NYer

MEATLESS  FRIDAYS

and  the

Official  Church  Law


The National Conference of Catholic
(American) Bishops - NCCB

Studies Returning
Meatless Fridays



       The vast majority of Catholics today do not know that there is an existing obligation to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. While it is true that the Code of Canon Law allows for the substituting of another penitential practice, authorized by the NCCB, one has not been defined. As a consequence the abiding custom of the Church has been set aside. Neither bishops nor priests, with rare exception, inform the faithful of their obligations. Laxity and indifference have become the rule throughout most of the American Church in all matters of faith and morals. The congregations are being led straight into Hell.

       Laxity and indifference are particularly notable in relation to human life. As the value of life expands in its deterioration, the bishops continue their practice of public posturing. As noted in the news article following the quotations from the Code of Canon Law, the bishops are now consideringg the possibility of reintroducing that which is, in essence, already the existing law of the Catholic Church.


       If the average Catholic were asked if they abstain from meat on Fridays, they would say no. If asked what penitential practice they have substituted in place of not eating meat, they would commonly say none.

       Bishops, and the priests in their jurisdictions, have long neglected to teach about the obligatory requirement of either abstaining from meat on all Fridays of the year, or of substituting another observance. They have sinned by omission. It should be noted that even Pope Paul VI's variance in Paenitemini of 17 February, 1966 did not abrogate (terminate) the obligation to at least substitute another form of penitential practice.

       The bishops are proposing to possibly have Catholics -- do what they were commonly supposed to be doing anyway (NOTE: Most Catholics no longer believe in condemnatory sin and consequently do not go to obligatory confession when in grave sin. It is probable that today there are more Catholics with non-Catholic beliefs than there are Protestants.) -- express their concerns in regard to abortion and euthanasia by abstinence (not eating the meat of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fowl). This might to some seem an improvement to expressing the need for prayer in regard to the multitudes of innocent people daily being slaughtered by Godless people. During the seven month period of time intervening between making the proposal to discuss and actually possibly discussing the proposal their will have been between one-half million and over five million people legally murdered in America. Obviously they do not consider this to be a matter of grave concern.

What else could be said or done?

  1. Strongly remind Catholics of their obligation to oppose evil.
  2. Start instructing Catholics of the sinfulness of voting for pro-euthanasia, pro-abortion, and pro-sodomite political candidates at all levels of government.
  3. Remind people that works (Mat. 25:45-46 & James 2:10, 14, 17) are the required evidence of the faith that is needed to get into Heaven, and that apathy and indifference are condemnatory.
  4. Tell Catholics to pray and/or protest at all hospitals and clinics that terminate innocent human life from the instant of conception to natural death.
  5. Tell Catholics that if they are not able to act as stated above that they can write letters of protest to government officials, or articles to editors of newspapers.
  6. Encourage the fainthearted that at least they should protest the selling or showing of pornography at book stores, video stores, grocery stores, movie theaters, etc.
  7. Start church committees to help people get active in opposing evil and to associate them with someone of like mind so that they can act at least in pairs.
  8. Remind Catholics that cowards do not enter Heaven -- EVER.



The  CODE  of  CANON  LAW - Original Latin Text copyright 1983 Liberia Editrice
Vaticana, Vatican City – Book IV The Sanctifying Office of the Church

Chapter II

DAYS OF PENANCE

Can. 1249  All Christ's faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to do penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days the faithful are in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage in works of piety and charity, and to deny themselves, by fulfilling their obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the fast and abstinence which the following canons prescribe.

Can. 1250  The days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

Can. 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.

Can. 1252  The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

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.

(Emphasis has been added.)                Canon Law Society of America: Text & Commentary



TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; History; Religion & Culture; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; fridays; lent; meat; meatless; nosurprise; pennance
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To: Campion
***A KVJ mistranslation. The Greek word simply means "foods".***

not a mistranslation the context has to do with meat which is a type of food

1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:


now the word easter in a mistranslation should be passover in the King James
41 posted on 02/28/2006 12:10:02 PM PST by bremenboy (if any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God)
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To: b4its2late; NYer
Not to mention fasting also on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.....

Actually, fasting should be every Friday, plus throughout Lent, plus Ash Wednesday, Wednesdays and Saturdays of Advent, Vigils, etc. The Pope abrogated the requirements here under pain of sin. They didn't throw away the tradition of doing these things. That was left for the lazy laity to do to prove themselves unworthy of the name Catholic by rapidly discarding their identity and traditions.

The American Bishops have been urging fasting for every Friday since 1983 as a voluntary penitential measure.

Most people are minimalists though, and refuse to do anything not required by pain of damnation.

42 posted on 02/28/2006 12:13:59 PM PST by Hermann the Cherusker
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To: Campion

By the way, if you want to dispute the word 'meats', take it up with those infidel Douay-Rheims translators; it was their version I quoted.


43 posted on 02/28/2006 12:15:10 PM PST by Sloth (Archaeologists test for intelligent design all the time.)
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To: zerosix; stuartcr
Precisely what does "meatless Fridays" have to do with the teachings of Christ?

Its a part of fasting. Aside from giving up a quantity of food in fasting, you also give up luxurious foods (meat, eggs, cheese, etc.)

"And the disiples of John and the Pharisees used to fast; and they come and say to him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast; but thy disciples do not fast? And Jesus saith to them: Can the children of the marriage fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them; and then they shall fast in those days." (St. Mark 2.18-20)

44 posted on 02/28/2006 12:17:18 PM PST by Hermann the Cherusker
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To: Sloth

You must mean nutmeats.


45 posted on 02/28/2006 12:22:55 PM PST by Notwithstanding (I love my German shepherd - Benedict XVI reigns!)
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To: zerosix
Does that mean that if Catholics "sacrifice" the eating of meat on Fridays, desserts during Lent, etc. that they have a better relationship with Jesus Christ?

Fasting has two purposes. (1) To reduce our concupiscible appetite for sensible delights (food, drink, and sex being the primary ones) so that the mind can focus on heavenly things without the distraction of coming earthly delights. (2) To reduce our necessities at times and allow us to then give from our surplus to the poor. The money you save from not having lunch, or forgoing a steak at dinner should go to your local soup kithen or food pantry for the poor. The time saved from not preparing elaborate meals or going out to eat should also be given over to the service of others who need our help.

So fasting should mean a person gains a better relationship with Christ, and becomes more Christlike to others through a growth in charity. Whether that actually occurs depends upon the dedication of the person, and if they approach their faith and the fast in a legalistic manner, or in a spiritualistic manner.

46 posted on 02/28/2006 12:23:38 PM PST by Hermann the Cherusker
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To: Sloth
By the way, if you want to dispute the word 'meats', take it up with those infidel Douay-Rheims translators

The word "meat" in Elizabethan English had a different meaning than it does now. What we call "meat," the Elizabethans frequently called "flesh meat" or "flesh".

Check the Greek.

47 posted on 02/28/2006 12:23:58 PM PST by Campion ("I am so tired of you, liberal church in America" -- Mother Angelica, 1993)
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To: Sloth

from http://scripturecatholic.com

Matt. 9:15; Mark 2:20; Luke 5:35 - many non-Catholics frown upon the Church's pious practice of fasting, and say that fasting went away after the resurrection of Christ. But Jesus Himself says that His followers will fast once He is gone and does not object.

Matt. 6:16-18 - in fact, Jesus even gives instructions on how to fast. Jesus says, "Do not look dismal like the hypocrites, but look clean and refreshed."

Matt. 17-21; Mark 9:29 - Jesus teaches that only prayer and fasting had special power to cure a man possessed by a demon. Jesus teaches about the efficacy of fasting and how fasting, coupled with prayer, is acceptable and pleasing to God.

Luke 2:37 - Anna the widow worshiped God with fasting and prayer night and day. The Church has always taught that, by virtue of our priesthood conferred in baptism, our fasting participates in the priesthood of Christ by atoning for the temporal punishments due to our and other people’s sins.

Acts 13:2-3; 14:23 - the apostles engaged in prayer and fasting in connection with ordaining leaders of the Church. Prayer and fasting have always been the practice of the Church.

1 Tim. 4:3 - when Paul refers to doctrines that require abstinence from foods, some Protestants refer to this verse to condemn the Catholic Church's practice of fasting. But Paul is referring to abstinence and any other practice that is performed apart from Christ's teachings. Fasting, on the other hand, is done in obedience to Christ's teachings of taking up our cross and following Him, by participating in His sufferings so we can share in His glory. When citing this verse, these Protestants do not explain why Jesus prophesied that his followers would fast and why Jesus gave instructions on how to fast.

Ez. 8:21-23 - Ezra proclaims a fast as a prayer for humility and self-mortification and God responds. Our fasting is performed to remind us of our absolute reliance upon God.

Neh. 1:4; 9:1 - these texts also show the historical practice of fasting. Fasting atones for temporal punishment due to sin and repairs our relationship with God.

Tobit 12:8 - prayer is good when accompanied by fasting. Throughout salvation history, God has encouraged fasting to be coupled with prayer.

Judith 4:9-13 - the people of Israel humbled themselves with fasting and the Lord Almighty responds.

Esther 4:3,16 - people fasted for days to atone for sin. Although Jesus remits the eternal penalty of our sin, we can atone for temporal penalties due to our sin.

Psalm 35:13 - David says, "I afflicted myself with fasting." David recognized that fasting drew him closer to God. Fasting makes us aware of our dependency on God.

Psalm 69:10 - the Psalmist writes, "I humbled my soul with fasting." Fasting helps us become humble, and in our humility we unit ourselves with our humble God.

Jer. 36:9 - the peoples of Jerusalem and Judah declared a fast before the Lord.

Baruch 1:5 - they wept, fasted, and prayed before the Lord.

Dan. 9:3; 10:2-3 - Daniel sought God through fasting, and abstained from choice foods and wine for three weeks.

Joel 1:14; 2:12,15 - fasts are called to sanctify and turn oneself toward the Lord.

Jonah 3:5,10 - people of Nineveh proclaim a fast to appease God and God responds favorably.

1 Macc. 3:47; 2 Macc. 13:12 - Judas and his army fasted in prayer.


48 posted on 02/28/2006 12:26:45 PM PST by Notwithstanding (I love my German shepherd - Benedict XVI reigns!)
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To: bremenboy
not a mistranslation the context has to do with meat which is a type of food

The context says nothing about meat.

The word in the Greek is bromah, which means simply "food" or "that which is eaten". Look it up.

49 posted on 02/28/2006 12:27:40 PM PST by Campion ("I am so tired of you, liberal church in America" -- Mother Angelica, 1993)
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To: zerosix
I just don't understand why if I fast at a time specified by another, how that really ever relates to me or my personal communication with God.

Your relationship with God is as part of a community, not as an atomistic individual. You came to God because members of the Church brought His message to you, and you joined them in their belief and became their spiritual brother. Now this community is a supernatural community, since it is both the body of Christ and the bride of Christ. And since it is a community, the comunity does supernatural things together at the same time as a group - for example, penitential acts on Friday and corporate divine worship on Sunday - just as a natural community has certain things they do as a group, such as celebrating Independence Day, or a family community eats dinner together at night.

We do it together because that is when Jesus Christ Himself promised to be in our midst. "For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (St. Matthew 18.20)

50 posted on 02/28/2006 12:29:15 PM PST by Hermann the Cherusker
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To: siunevada
Check out the Orthodox sometime. They do some real heavy duty fast and abstinence during Lent. We Latins are pretty lightweight in discipline compared to them.

Speak for yourself!

51 posted on 02/28/2006 12:30:42 PM PST by Hermann the Cherusker
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To: Hermann the Cherusker

I asked what the repercussions were to eating meat.


52 posted on 02/28/2006 12:45:28 PM PST by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: Notwithstanding

Of course, real fasting is NOT EATING AT ALL -- a far cry from this convenient food-group-specific practice, which is more similar to the Muslim 'fasting' during Ramadan wherein they can eat all they want after dark.


53 posted on 02/28/2006 12:56:16 PM PST by Sloth (Archaeologists test for intelligent design all the time.)
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To: NYer

I remember I when I was at the Archdiocese and I tried to discuss this self same discipline (it had been covered by Fr. Corapi the night before) with a Priest who I was friendly with (awesome guy btw) and he told me "don't believe everything you hear on EWTN"

I was disappointed, he doesn't promote any heterodoxy and is a great guy, but still.....


54 posted on 02/28/2006 1:00:06 PM PST by Cheverus
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To: Sloth

is "real fasting" defined in scripture, or are you trying to make men slaves to your definition?


55 posted on 02/28/2006 1:00:12 PM PST by Notwithstanding (I love my German shepherd - Benedict XVI reigns!)
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To: Sloth

Does yout definition mean no water and no milkshakes (you did say eaing nothing at all)?
A person dies without water for 40 days - did you know that?
Did Jesus go without water for 40 days?
Was Jesus fully human?


56 posted on 02/28/2006 1:03:02 PM PST by Notwithstanding (I love my German shepherd - Benedict XVI reigns!)
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To: Notwithstanding

Thank you for the handy link. I have a hobby of getting into email debates with anti-Catholic website owners. I typically use the website "Biblical Truths for Baptists" (http://members.aol.com/uticacw/baptist/bibletruth.html), but this will add another weapon to my arsenal.


57 posted on 02/28/2006 1:16:55 PM PST by AlaninSA (It's one nation under God -- brought to you by the Knights of Columbus)
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To: stuartcr
I asked what the repercussions were to eating meat.

To willfully eat meat when the authorities of the Church asks us to abstain as a communal penance is a mortal sin of disobedience to the lawful authorities in the Church, who must answer to God for the state of our souls. They have enacted a law for our benefit, and it is our duty to understand the law and follow it to achieve the divine benefits of what it commands and proposes that we might receive in return.

"Remember your prelates who have spoken the word of God to you; whose faith follow ... Obey your prelates, and be subject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief. For this is not expedient for you." (Hebrews 13.7, 17)

Those who will not "hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican." (St. Matthew 18.17). The disobedient will be cut-off as performing works of the flesh "enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects" (Galatians 5.20).

58 posted on 02/28/2006 1:25:40 PM PST by Hermann the Cherusker
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To: Owl_Eagle
You have no one to blame but yourself if you didn't find salvation through making macaroni pictures of The Manger.

LOL! You can always just glue a pre-cooked block of romin noodles to a sheet of red construction paper and say it's souls writhing in hell. Of course that's not salvatory either, but maybe it's something.

59 posted on 02/28/2006 1:27:32 PM PST by Puddleglum (Thank God the Boston blowhard lost)
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To: Sloth
Of course, real fasting is NOT EATING AT ALL -- a far cry from this convenient food-group-specific practice

Fasting has two parts - to reduce overall intake (fasting proper), and to abstain from items of luxury in what we do eat (abstinence) for necessary sustenance during the fast.

which is more similar to the Muslim 'fasting' during Ramadan wherein they can eat all they want after dark.

The Catholic fast is traditionally limited to one small collation after noon time that is less than half of what you would normally eat (i.e. instead of a sandwich and apple and sode for lunch, just an apple and a cup of water), and one regular meal at night. No breakfast, no snacks, and no real lunch. Additionally, during the fast, various foods are completely done away with (meat, broths, cheese, eggs, etc.) for the duration of the fast period.

There is no gorging on food and luxuries after dark.

60 posted on 02/28/2006 1:29:49 PM PST by Hermann the Cherusker
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