[Alex Murphy]

According to NPR, the alligator was officially sanctioned as a member of the seafood group three years ago after Jim Piculas wrote a letter to Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans asking to settle a debate among his friends. The Archbishop responded saying, "Yes, the alligator's considered in the fish family, and I agree with you — God has created a magnificent creature that is important to the state of Louisiana, and it is considered seafood."

[napscoordinator]

Now if only they could consider a hamburger a seafood, my Lenten Season would be much easier. lol. /sarc.

[al_c]

Those crazy Cajuns! Didn’t they do the same thing with nutria some years ago?

[topher]

The Crawfish [only started to be consumed in Louisiana in 1920's] is not a fish but Crustacean. So are lobsters and shrimp.

Basically, Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays in Lent [and all Fridays].

chicken, beef, ham, turkey -- are considered meats.

Sounds like if you want eat rattlesnake, you can...

[count-your-change]

If someone can believe that bread is turned into human flesh it shouldn't be too hard to believe an alligator is turned into a fish. Crocodile too.
Frog legs for the French, whales for the Japanese, Fish for everyone!

[markomalley]

Hate to tell you, but the rule has always been that Friday abstinence involves warm blooded animals, not cold blooded. Sadly, people like to make it a little more complicated than it needs to be.

And for the record, the purpose is the most minor form of fasting in remembrance of the day the Lord was crucified. Tertullian wrote some interesting stuff on the practice back in 208 AD (or so).

[Oratam]

Muskrat was considered “fish” in a few Michigan dioceses back in the ‘30s.

[Petrosius]

The distinction has always been between warm-blooded and cold-blooded. Fish and reptiles being cold-blooded are not considered true flesh. The rational is that abstaining from meat is in memorial of the flesh and blood shed by our Lord. I guess it is some form of bloodism discrimination.

[Iscool]

If alligator is seafood then Hippopotomous can’t be far behind...Them crazy Catholics...

[Larry Lucido]

What about nutria? They're a kind of fish, aren't they?

[kempster]

I believe the answer lies in the original creation. Was the alligator created with the fish and birds or with the creepy crawly things the next day? Is whale meat fish or meat?