he should just let them choose what they wish to abstain from on Fridays....many love fish these days and it is no sacrifice at all.
That's been the status quo for my entire lifetime. Unfortunately, no one bothered to tell me until I found out a few years ago.
People heard "you don't have to abstain from meat" and never heard the "but you have to do something penitential on Fridays."
I'd rather have a rule for all, so all understand.
Psychologically, a uniform rule has benefits.
This is great news and I think will help enormously in a recovery of the sense of being Catholic (which is going to be a great help to us in the coming persecution).
Vegetarians and other usually non-meat eaters - such as many strict contemplative religious orders - obviously give up something else. But for the average layman, giving up meat is a simple, uncomplicated and recognizable penance and at the same time, a sign of being Catholic. I remember when I was a kid in New York, I would always watch for who chose the fish on Fridays; I suppose my Jewish friends were always watching to see who ate bacon and who did not!
It may seem silly, but not eating meat on Friday was something that was a recognizable sign of being Catholic, something we were teased about, and something that reminded us that we were Catholic Christians and that this didn’t come free of charge, so to speak.
>>he should just let them choose what they wish to abstain from on Fridays....many love fish these days and it is no sacrifice at all.<<
I love fish and we do meatless Fridays.
Let me tell you, it’s work after a while. Especially when fish costs big buck and everyone is tired of Mac And Cheese.